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This  book  was  presented  by 
Raymond  L.    Murray 


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S01 897960  / 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  DATE 
INDICATED  BELOW  AND  IS  SUB- 
JECT TO  AN  OVERDUE  FINE  AS 
POSTED  AT  THE  CIRCULATION 
DESK. 


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SFP  2  Cjy/9 

m  1 7  m 


APR  1.7  1985 


A  GUIDE 

TO  THE 

WILD  FLOWERS 


W4 


"%.t 


PLATE   XX.     WILD   HONEYSUCKLE.     Azalea  nudijlora. 

COPyRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


A  GUIDE 

TO  THE 

WILD  FLOWERS 


BY 

ALICE  LOUNSBERRY 


WITH    SIXTY-FOUR    COLOURED  AND    ONE    HUNDRED  BLACK-AND- 
WHITE    PLATES   AND    FIFTY-FOUR    DIAGRAMS 

BY 

MRS.  ELLIS  ROWAN 


TKmtb  an  -ffntroDuction 

BY 

DR.  N.  L.  BRITTON 

Emeritus  Professor  of  Botany,  Columbia  University,  Author  of  ^^  An  Illustrated 
Flora^  and  Director  of  the  New  York  Botanical  Garden. 

FO  UR  TH  EDITION  WITH  RE  VISIONS 


It 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1899, 
By  Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company 


Contents. 


Preface,        ...... 

List  of  Illustrations,       .... 

Introduction  by  Dr.  Nathaniel  Lord  Britton, 

A  Chapter  to  Study,         .  .  „  , 

Five  Conspicuous  Plant  Families, 

Plants  Growing  in  Water, 

Plants     Growing      in     Mud  :      Bogs,     Swamps     and 

Marshes, 
Plants  Growing  in  Moist  Soil  :   Low  Meadows  and 

BY  Running  Streams, 
Plants  Growing  in  Rich  or  Rocky  Soil  :  Deep  Woods 

and  Hillsides,  .... 

Plants  Growing  in  Light  Soil  :  Open  Woods, 
Plants  Growing  in  Sandy  Soil, 
Plants  Growing  in  Dry  Soil  :  Upland  Places,  Thicke 

and  Meadows,  ..... 
Plants  Growing  in  Waste  Soil  :  Roadside  Banks  and 

Lanes,     . 
Index  to  Colour,  . 
Index  to  English  Names, 
Index  to  Latin  Names,     . 
Index  of  Technical  Terms, 


PAGE. 

iv 
ix 

XV 

I 

15 

21 

43 
79 

139 

203 
231 

256 

296 
326 

333 

340 
346 


Prefc 


ace. 


The  love  of  flowers  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  passions,  as  it  is 
one  of  the  most  enduring.  Children  with  the  bees  and  butter- 
flies delight  in  the  opening  of  the  spring  ;  and  a  bright  boy  that 
is  reared  in  the  country  follows  the  season  by  its  flowers.  He 
it  is  who  knows  when  to  push  aside  the  snow  and  dried  leaves 
to  find  the  first  sweet  blossoms  of  the  trailing  arbutus  ;  nor 
does  he  mistake  the  dell  where  the  white  violet  peeps  shyly  out 
for  the  spreading  patch  of  blue  violets  to  which  he  returns 
every  year.  He  knows  the  hillside  where  the  mountain  laurel 
and  the  lambkill  grow,  and  drives  away  the  foolish  cows  that 
would  eat  of  their  fresh,  green  shoots.  The  precious  haunt  of 
the  pink  orchis  and  the  rocky  crag  over  which  droops  the  lovely 
columbine  is  to  him  an  unravelled  mystery.  A  stream  of  fish- 
ing he  marks  by  the  stately  cardinal  flower  or  the  coy  jewel- 
weed. 

His  knowledge  of  them  all  is  intimate  and  loving — one  that  he 
has  acquired  by  his  own  skill  and  observation,  and  through  this 
close  friendship  with  them  he  feels  proudly  that  they  are  his 
very  own.  The  swamps  and  the  woods,  the  hills  and  the  road- 
sides, are  his  especial  domain. 

The  great  poets  of  America  have  shown  a  profound  apprecia- 
tion of  their  incomparable  wild  flowers.  In  fact,  the  impersonal 
love  of  flowers  is  one  of  the  characteristics  of  modern  poetry. 
But  this  has  not  always  been  so.  The  Persians  made  use  of 
their  flowers  as  mouthpieces  to  express  their  own  sentiments 
and  from  them  the  idea  radiated  very  generally.  They  served 
the  ancient  Greeks  mostly  as  tombstones  to  commemorate  their 
sorrows  :  and  although  the  Greek  boy  knew  where  to  find  them 
and  honoured  them  as   favourites  of  his  gods,  he  had  not  the 


VI  PREFACE. 

same  sentimental  fondness  for  them  as  has  our  little  American 
friend.  A  wild  rose  would  never  say  to  him  :  "  I  despise  you  ; " 
nor  does  he  expect  a  black-eyed  Susan  to  blush  from  shyness. 

The  wild  flowers  have  their  own  unique  personalities.  They 
exist  as  individuals  and  reproduce  themselves.  Every  plant  is 
a  member  of  a  family  and  has  its  relatives  quite  as  well  as 
those  of  the  animal  world.  To  know  them  it  is  necessary  that 
we  should  seek  them  in  their  homes  :  they  seldom  come  to  us. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  a  classification  according  to  the  soil 
in  which  they  grow  is  feasible.  It  is  a  tangible  point  of  which 
to  take  hold.  And  although  there  are  some  fickle-minded 
plants  that  appear  to  flourish  in  different  kinds  of  soil,  they 
may  be  regarded  rather  as  those  straying  away  from  family 
tradition,  than  as  trustworthy  examples.  As  a  rule  they  are 
partial  to  particular  kinds  of  soil  and  do  not  thrive  nearly  so 
well  in  other  than  that  allotted  to  them  by  Dame  Nature.  The 
marsh  marigold,  with  which  most  of  us  are  familiar,  when  it 
reaches  the  sunny,  warmer  south  retires  to  the  wet,  cool  woods 
in  search  of  a  soil  similar  to  that  of  its  home  marshes.  The 
harebell,  that  is  with  us  a  shy  plant,  hiding  itself  in  shady 
places  and  rooting  in  moist  soil,  in  England  ventures  out  into 
the  meadows  and  highways.  It  has  there  not  our  midsummer 
heat  with  which  to  contend  and  finds  the  soil  of  the  fields  not 
unlike  that  of  our  shaded  banks. 

It  would  therefore  seem  that,  putting  aside  an  analysis  of 
their  minuter  parts,  the  different  species  of  plants  could  be 
most  readily  known  by  their  locality.  With  one  exception  the 
great  family  of  golden-rods  are  yellow  ;  but  they  do  not  all 
grow  in  the  same  kind  of  soil.  The  knowledge,  therefore,  that 
one  inhabits  a  swamp  will  be  of  more  value  to  identify  it  than 
to  know  its  colour.  For  the  convenience  of  those,  however, 
that  are  accustomed  to  a  classification  by  colour,  an  index,  in 
which  the  plants  are  arranged  under  the  dominant  colour  of  the 
blossoms,  has  been  provided. 

With  the  knowledge  of  this  point  and  knowing  also  the  soil 


PREFACE.  vii 

in  which  they  grow,  little  difficulty  should  be  encountered  in 
determining  the  position  of  any  plant  in  the  book. 

It  has  seemed  most  natural  to  make  the  divisions  of  soil 
according  to  a  gradation  from  plants  that  grow  in  water 
through  those  of  mud  and  those  of  moist,  rich,  rocky,  light  and 
sandy  soils  respectively  to  those  that  flourish  in  dry  and  waste 
ground.  Under  this  classification  the  primary  idea  in  group- 
ing the  genera  has  been  to  keep  the  families  together,  and  so 
far  as  is  consistent  with  this  plan  they  have  been  arranged 
according  to  their  seasons  of  blooming. 

The  common  English  name,  or  several  common  names,  when 
they  exist,  and  the  scientific  names  of  the  plants  are  first  given. 
Accents  have  been  retained  on  the  latter  as  being  an  assistance 
to  their  correct  pronunciation.  Then  follow,  so  that  they  may 
be  seen  at  a  glance,  the  family,  colour,  odour,  range  and  time 
of  bloom.  A  simple  analysis  is  also  given,  from  which  the 
manner  of  their  growth  and  the  form  and  number  of  their  parts 
can  be  learned.  From  the  routine  order  of  placing  first  the 
root,  or  stem,  a  deviation  has  been  indulged  in  by  beginning 
with  a  description  of  the  flowers.  It  is  thought  to  be  more 
considerate  to  allow  the  novice  to  satisfy  his  enthusiasm  over 
the  blossom  before  claiming  his  attention  for  the  root,  stem, 
and  leaves. 

The  technical  terms  that  have  been  used  will  not  be  found 
difficult  to  conquer  by  a  little  patience  and  study  of  the  next 
chapter.  The  student  will  then  be  armed  with  a  vocabulary 
from  which  two  words  will  serve  him  for  twelve  of  his  own 
that  he  might  otherwise  employ.  Every  science  has  its  phe- 
nomena that  individuals  are  ready  to  master  ;  but  for  some 
strange  reason  botany  has,  until  recently,  been  so  enwrapped 
in  the  gloom  of  technical  expressions  that  it  has  been  declared 
impossible.  Happily  this  idea  has  become  a  phantom  of  his- 
tory. The  change  undoubtedly  is  greatly  owing  to  the  many 
delightful  books  that  have  been  written  on  this  subject.  It  is 
these  books  that  make  naturalists. 


viii  PREFACE. 

Modesty,  we  learn  from  the  flowers,  is  one  of  the  winsome 
virtues.  It  is  therefore  said  with  much  modesty  that  what  has 
been  formerly  lacking  to  make  these  books  thoroughly  useful 
and  practicable  to  the  student  is  supplied  in  the  present  volume. 
It  is  COLOUR.  To  the  development  of  science  we  owe  the 
existence  of  the  sixty-four  coloured  plates  that  are  here  repro- 
duced. They  and  the  pen-and-ink  sketches  are  from  original 
studies  from  nature  and  show  us  many  of  our  familiar  as  well 
as  rare  wild  flowers.  In  the  selection  of  them  the  range  has 
not  been  limited  ;  simply  from  America's  great  wealth  of  bloom 
those  have  been  chosen  that  have  some  especial  claim  on  our 
attention.  This  work  has  been  greatly  facilitated  by  the  most 
kind  and  generous  aid  of  Dr.  Britton. 

Mrs.  Rowan  received  invaluable  assistance  from  Mr.  Beadle, 
the  well-known  botanist  of  Biltmore  ;  and  while  in  Asheville 
was  enabled,  through  his  courtesy  and  that  of  his  colleagues,  to 
get  many  rare  specimens  of  native  plants  from  the  mountains 
of  North  Carolina. 

Besides  accuracy,  Mrs.  Rowan  has  a  particularly  happy 
faculty  of  transmitting  to  paper  the  atmosphere  of  the  plants, 
so  that  in  looking  at  them  we  almost  feel  their  texture  and 
sense  a  whiff  of  the  salt  marsh  in  which  they  grew,  or  the  cool, 
spicy  odour  of  the  pine  thickets.  How  differently  these 
coloured  plates  impress  us  from  those  that  gave  dreary  pleasure 
to  our  ancestors,  when  a  patch  of  colour  and  a  bit  of  green 
that  was  taken  on  faith  as  the  accompanying  leaves  caused 
them  to  exclaim  mechanically,  "  It  is  a  flower," 

That  the  book  introduces  many  new  friends  among  the  wild 
flowers  and  that  it  adds  colour  constitutes  its  claim  upon  the 
reader. 

About  the  flowers  grave  lessons  cling, 
Let  us  softly  steal  like  the  tread  of  spring 
And  learn  of  them. 


List  of  Illustrations. 


The  mark  *  *  *  which  appears  in  the  list  designates  the  plates  that  are  pro- 
duced in  colour.  The  number  of  the  page  given  for  each  of  these  coloured 
plates  is  that  of  the  printed  pagQ/aced  by  the  coloured  plate  in  each  case. 

PLATE.  PAGE. 

I.  WATER-ARUM.     Calla  pahistris,      . 

II.  GOLDEN  CLUB.     Orontium  aguaticum, 

III.  YELLOW  POND-LILY.     NymphcBa  advena, 

IV.  YELLOW  NELUMBO.     Nelumlw  lutea, 

V.  COMMON  WHITE  WATER  CROWFOOT.    Batrachiumtrichophyllum, 
YELLOW  WATER  CROWFOOT.     Ranuticulns  delphini/olius^ 

VI.  WATER  HEMLOCK.     Cictita  maculata,       . 

VII.  WATER-HYACINTH.     Piaropus  crassipes, 

VIII.  COMMON  BLADDERWORT.     Utricularia  vulgaris^ 

IX.  ARROW-HEAD.     Sagittaria  lati/olia, 

X.  WATER-PLANTAIN.     Alisma  Plantago-aquatica^ 

XI.  AMPHIBIOUS  KNOTWEED.     Polygonum  amphibium^ 
XII.  FLOATING-HEART.     Limnanthejnum  lacunosunt^ 

XIII.  AMERICAN  CRINUM.      Crinutn  Americanum^ 

XIV.  SWAMP  PINK.     Helonias  bullata,     . 
XV.  PITCHER-PLANT.     Sarracenia  purpurea^ 

XVI.  MARSH  MARIGOLD.     Caltha  palustriSy 

XVII.  GOLDTHREAD.     Coptis  tri/olta,      . 

XVIII.  SWAMP  ROSE,     ^^sa  Carolina, 

XIX.  LIZARD'S  TAIL.     Saururus  cernuus, 

XX.  WILD  HONEYSUCKLE.     Azalea  nudiflora, 

XXI.  WHITE  SWAMP  HONEYSUCKLE.     Azalea  viscosa, 
XXII.  AMERICAN  CRANBERRY.     Oxycoccus  macrocarpus. 


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20 

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trichophylluin. 

29 

'/alius. 

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31 

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54 

*  "^ 

t  * 

Frontispiece. 

*  *  * 

54 

, 

S8 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XXIII.  CALOPOGON.     Litnodorum  tuberosum,     . 

XXIV.  SNAKE-MOUTH.     Pogonia  ofihioglossoides, 
XXV.  SMALL  PURPLE-FRINGED  ORCHIS.     Habenaria psycodes, 

XXVI.  WHITE-FRINGED  ORCHIS.     Habenaria  blephariglottis^ 
YELLOW-FRINGED  ORCHIS.     Habenaria  ciliaris 

XXVII.  MARSH  CLEMATIS.     Clematis  crispa, 

XXVIII.  HORNED  BLADDERWORT.     Utricularia  cornuta, 
XXIX.  ROSE  MALLOW.     Hibiscus  Moscheutos,      . 

XXX.  BUCKBEAN.     Menyanthes  trifoliata, 

XXXI.  SEA  PINK.     Sabbatia  campanulata,  .  . 

XXXII.  VENUS'S  FLY-TRAP.     Diortiea  muscipula, 

XXXIII.  MILKWEED.     Asclepias  lanceolata, 
ASHY  MILKWEED.     Asclepias  cinerea, 

XXXIV.  LARGER  BLUE  FLAG.     Iris  versicolor, 

XXXV.  CRESTED  DWARF-IRIS.    Iris  cristata, 

XXXVI.  POINTED  BLUE-EYED  GRASS.     Sisyrinchium  angusti folium, 
XXXVII.  YELLOW-ADDER'S  TONGUE.     Erythronium  Americanum, 

XXXVIll.  CAROLINA  LILY.     Lilium  Carolinianum, 

XXXIX,  STOUT  STENANTHIUM.     Stenanthium  robustum, 

XL.  FOUR-WINGED  SNOWDROP  TREE.     Mohrodendron  Carolinum, 

XLI.  CHOKE  CHERRY.     Prunus  Virginiana,     . 

XL!!.  TALL  WILD  BELLFLOWER.     Campanula  Americana, 

XLIII.  COLORADO  SHOOTING-STAR.     Dodecatheon  Meadia  frigidu 

XLIV.  TRUMPET  FLOWER.      Tecoma  radicans,    . 

XLV.  BUTTON'BUSH.     Cephalanthus  occidentalis, 

XLVI.  BLUETS.     Houstonia  coerulea,  .... 

XLVll.  TALL  MEADOW  RUE.      Thalictrum polygamum, 

XLVlll.  MONKSHOOD.     Aconitum  uncinatum, 

XLIX.  MOCK  APPLE-     Micrampelis  lobata, 

L.  WHITE-FLOWERED  SIDALCEA.     Sidalcea  Candida, 

Li.  CARDINAL  MONKEY-FLOWER.     Mimulus  cardinalis,    . 
Lll.     TURTLE-HEAD.     Chelone  glabra,     .... 

Llll.  TURTLE-HEAD.     Chelone  Lyoni,      .... 

LIV  HEDGE-HYSSOP.     Gratiola  aurea. 


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92 

94 
96 

99 
103 

104 
105 
107 
108 
III 
"3 
"5 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XI 


LV.  MEADOW  BEAUTY.     Rhexia  Virginica, 

LARGE-FLOWERED  MILKWORT.     Polygala  grandijlora, 

LVL  SLENDER  DAY  FLOWER.     Commelina  erecta, 

LVII.  SPIDERWORT.      Tradescantia  inontana,  , 

LVIII.  JEWEL-WEED.     Itnpatiens  bifora^ 

LIX.  CARDINAL  FLOWER.     Lobelia  cardinalis, 

RATTLESNAKE  GRASS.     Panicularia  Canadensis, 

LX.  GREAT  LOBELIA.     Lobelia  syphilitica,       . 

LXL  ROUND-LEAVED  PSORALEA.     Psoralea  orbicularis, 

LXII.  OSWEGO-TEA.     Monarda  didyma, 

LXIII.  OBEDIENT  PLANT.     Physostegia  Virginiana,      . 

LXIV.  FRINGED  GENTIAN.     Gentiana  crinita,     . 

LXV.  CLOSED  GENTIAN.     Gentiana  Andrewsii, 

LXVI.  SNEEZEWEED.     Helenium  autumnale, 

LXVII.  BLUE  STOKESIA.     Stokesia  cyanea, 

LXVIII.  JOE-PYE-WEED.     Eupatorium  purpureum^ 

LXIX.  GOLDEN-ROD.     Solidago  juncea, 

LXX.  JACK-iN-THE-PULPIT.     Arisosnta  triphyllum,  . 

LXXI.  STROPHILIRION.     Strophilirion  Cali/ornicum, 

LXXII.  TWISTED  STALK.     Streptopus  roseus, 

LXXIII.  LARGE-FLOWERED  WAKE-ROBIN.      Trillitim  grandiflorum, 

LXXIV.  PAINTED  TRILLIUM.      Trillium  undulatum, 

LXXV.  PANICLED  BELLFLOWER.     Campanula  divaricata 

LXXVi.  DALIBARDA.     Dalibarda  repens,     . 

LXXVll.  EARLY  WHITE  ROSE.     ^''•^^  blanda, 

LXXVIM.  COLUMBINE.     Aquilegia  truncata, 

LONG-SPURRED  COLUMBINE.     Aquilegia  caridea, 

LXXIX.  BLACK  COHOSH.     Cimici/uga  racevtosa, 

LXXX.  BUNCH-BERRY.     Cormis  Canadensis, 

LXXXI.  FLOWERING  DOGWOOD.     Cornus  Jlorida, 

LXXXII.  SOURWOOD.     Oxydendrum  arboreum,     . 
LXXXIII.     MOUNTAIN  LAUREL.     Kalmia  latifolia,    . 

LXXXIV.  SHEEP  LAUREL.     Kalmia  angusti/olia,     . 

LXXXV.  GREAT  RHODODENDRON.     Rhododendron  maximum. 


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Xll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


LXXXVI.     SHIN-LEAF.     Pyrola  elli^tica, 

LXXXVII.     CREEPING  WINTERGREEN.     Gaultheria procumbenSy 
LXXXVIII.     CREEPING  WINTERGREEN.     Gaultheria  Shallon, 
LXXXIX.     INDIAN  PIPE.     Monotropa  uniflora, 

FALSE  BEECH-DROPS.     Hypopitys  Hypopitys,     . 
XC.     NEVINS'S  STONE  CROP.     Sedum  Nevii,   . 
XCI.     AMERICAN  ORPINE.     Sedum  telephioides, 
XCII.     SMOOTH  RUELLIA.     Ruellia  strepens,       . 
XCIII.     YELLOW  LADY'S  SLIPPER.     Cypripedium  hirsutum, 
XCIV.     MOCCASIN  FLOWER.     Cypripedium  acaule, 
XCV.     STRIPED  CORAL-ROOT.     Corallorhiza  striata, 
XCVI.     RATTLESNAKE  PLANTAIN.     Peranium  repens,  . 
XCVII.     BLOOD-ROOT.     Sanguinaria  Canadensis, 
XCVIII.     GROUND  OR  MOSS  PINK.     Phlox  subtdata, 
XCIX.     HOBBLE-BUSH.     Viburnum  alni/olium, 

C.     TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE,     Lonicera  sempervirens, 
CI.     TWIN-FLOWER.     Linncea  borealis, 
Gil.     WHITE  ABRONIA.     Abronia  fragrans. 
Gill.     WHITE  BEARD'S  TONGUE.     Pentstemon  Digitalis, 
CIV.     WHITE  BEARD'S  TONGUE.     Pentstemon  Newberryi, 
GV.     WOOD-SORREL.     Oxalis  Acetosella, 
GVI.     TRAILING  ARBUTUS.     Epigaa  repens, 
GVII.     SPOTTED  PiPSISSEWA.     Chimaphila  maculata, 

FIRE  PINK.     Silene  Virginica, 
CVIll.     WIND-FLOWER.     Anemone  quinque folia, 
CIX.    THIMBLE-WEED,     Anemone  Virginiana, 
ex.     CAROLINA  LARKSPUR.     Delphinium  Carolinianum, 
CXI.     PARTRIDGE  VINE.     Mitchella  repens, 
CXII.     WILD  PINK,     Silene  Caroliniana,    . 
CXIil.    STARRY  CAMPION.     Silene  stellata, 
CXIV.     GROUND-NUT,     Panax  trifolium, 
CXV.     WILD  GERANIUM.     Geranium  maculatum, 
CXVI.     PROSTRATE  TICK-TREFOIL.     Meibomia  Michauxii, 
CXVII.     WOOD-BETONY,     Pedicularis  Canadensis, 


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ai9 

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*  ♦  ♦   332 

225 

»27 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xui 


CXVIII.     DOWNY  FALSE  FOXGLOVE.     D asy stoma  Jlava, 

SMOOTH  RUELLIA.     Ruellia  strepens, 
CXIX.     FERN-LEAF  FALSE  FOXGLOVE.     Dasystoma  Pedicularia^ 
CXX.     SPANISH  BAYONET.     Yucca  filamentosa^ 
CXXI.     BIRD'S-FOOT  VIOLET.     Viola pedata, 

BIRD'S-FOOT  VIOLET.      Viola  pedata  bicolor,     . 
CXXII.   ST.  ANDREW'S  CROSS.     Ascyrum  hypericoides, 
CXXIII.     SHRUBBY  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT.     Hypericum proli/icum, 
CXXIV.     GOAT'S  RUE.     Cracca  Virginiana, 
CXXV.     WILD  SENNA.     Cassia  Mar  Handicap 

PARTRIDGE  PEA.     Cassia  Chamcecrista^    .  .  . 

CXXVI.     BEACH  PEA.     Lathyrus  maritimus, 
CXXVII.     BUSH  CLOVER.     Lespedeza procumbens,    . 
CXXVIII.     HYSSOP  SKULLCAP.     Scutellaria   integrt/olia. 

HAIRY  SKULLCAP.     Scutellaria pilosa,       . 
CXXIX.     HORSE-MINT.     Monarda  punctata, 
CXXX.     CAROLINA  CALAMIINT.      Calamintha  Caroliniana, 
CXXXI.     PURPLE  GERARDIA.     Gerardia purpurea, 
CXXXIl.     FLOWERING  SPURGE.     Euphorbia  corollata,       . 
CXXXm.     SMOOTH  ASTER.     Aster  Icevis,        .... 
WH;tE  wreath  aster.     Aster  multiflorus,     . 
LATE  PURPLE  ASTER.     Aster  patens, 
CXXXIV.     SHAD-BUSH.     A7nelanchier  Canadensis, 
CXXXV.     VIOLETS.      Viola  blanda,  Viola  Canadensis,  Viola-  pubescens 

Viola  palmata,     .... 
CXXXVI.     CRANBERRY  TREE.    Viburnum  Opulus,  . 
CXXXVll.     SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL.     Potentillafruticosa,    . 
CXXXVIII.     VIPER'S  BUGLOSS.     Echium  vulgare, 
CXXXIX.     LARGE-FLOWERED  VERBENA.     Verbena  Canadensis,  . 
CXL.     8CAP0SE    PRIMROSE.     Pachylophus  ccespitostts, 
CXLI.     PASSION  FLOWER.     Passiflora  incarnata, 
CXLII.     CALIFORNIA  POPPY.     Eschscholtzia  Calif ornica, 
CALIFORNIA  POPPY,     Eschscholtzia  coespitosa,     . 
CXLIII.     BUTTERFLY  PEA.     Clitoria  Mariana,       . 


*  *  * 

228 

*  *  * 

228 

229 

*  *  * 

230 

233 

233 

237 

*  *  * 

238 

239 

*  *  * 

242 

*  *  * 

242 

243 

245 

247 

247 

249 

251 

*  *  * 

252 

253 

*  *  * 

254 

*  *  * 

254 

*  *  * 

254 

*  *  * 

256 

*  *  * 

258 

259 

263 

♦  *  * 

266 

269 

271 

*  *  * 

272 

*  *  * 

274 

*  *  ♦ 

274 

277 

XIV 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


CXLIV.  COMMON  MILKWEED.   Ascle^ias  Syriaca, 

CXLV.  BUTTERFLY-WEED.     Asclepias  tuberosa, 

CXLVI.  MOTH-MULLEN.     Verhascutn  Blattaria^ 

CXLVII.  STRIPED  GENTIAN-     Gentiana  villosa,       . 

CXLVIIJ.  TICK-SEED.     Coreopsis  lanceolata^  . 

CXLIX.  ROBIN'S  PLANTAIN.     Erigeron pulchellus, 

CL.  WHITE  DAISY.     Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum, 

BULBOUS  BUTTERCUP.     Rammculus  bulbosus^ 

CLI.  BLACK-EYED  SUSAN.     Rudbeckia  hirta,  . 

CLII.  PURPLE-FLOWERING  RASPBERRY.     Rubus  odoratus, 

CLIII.  SPREADING  DOGBANE.     Apocynum  AndroscEmifolium 

CLIV.  CYPRESS-VINE.     Quamoclit  coccinea^ 

CLV.  BOUNCING  BET.     Saponaria  officinalis^     . 

CLVI.  DOUBLE  BOUNCING  BET.     Saponaria  officinalis 

CLVII.  TRAVELLER'S  JOY.     Clematis  Virginiana, 

CLVIII,  MUSK  MALLOW.     Malva  vtoschata, 

CLIX.  WHITE  ALDER.     Clethra  alnifolia, 

CLX.  HOG-PEANUT.     Falcata  comosa,       . 

CLXI.  SUNFLOWER.     Helianthus  mollis^ 

CLXII,  IRON-WEED      Vernonia  Noveboracensis^ 

CLXIII.  COMMON  YARROW.    Achillea  Millefolium, 

CLXIV.  CHICORY.     Cichorium  Intybus^ 


279 

*  *  *     280 

283 
285 

*  *  *     288 


*  *  * 


*  *  * 


*  *■  *■ 


290 
290 
292 


*  *  * 

*  *  * 

*  *  *     298 

301 
303 
304 

*  *  *     304 

307 

*  *  *     306 

309 

313 
318 
321 
333 
324 


Introduction. 


One  of  the  first  questions  a  botanist  asks  about  a  plant  is, 
"Where  did  it  grow,"  and  the  next  is,  "When  and  where  did 
you  get  it,"  Yet  it  is  surprising  how  seldom  these  points  are 
noted,  and  how  many  collections  are  preserved  without  suffi- 
cient data  to  guide  us  in  the  identification  of  the  specimens. 
If  this  book  does  nothing  more  than  emphasize  the  importance 
of  observing  these  points  it  will  do  good. 

It  will  also  aid  in  the  appreciation  of  that  new  development 
of  botanical  study,  the  science  of  Plant  Ecology.  It  will  teach 
the  novice  how  altitude,  latitude,  soil  and  environment  affect 
the  vegetation  of  certain  areas  ;  how  certain  plants  are  found 
growing  together  because  of  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  of  their 
surroundings.  If  it  also  leads  to  the  understanding  of  their 
gradual  adaptation  to  changed  conditions  it  will  give  a  broader 
and  more  comprehensive  view  of  plant  morphology  and  lead 
away  from  the  mistaken  idea  that  plants  must  and  should  con- 
form to  our  artificial  definitions,  and  make  clearer  the  laws  of 
evolution. 

To  feel  that  plants  are  living  things,  that  individuality  and 
heredity  are  constantly  struggling  in  them  for  ascendancy, 
bringing  about  modifications  which  in  course  of  time  are  suffi- 
cient in  amount  and  importance  to  create  specific  differences, 
these  are  the  underlying  principles  of  the  study  of  plants. 

That  the  love  of  Nature  is  gaining  ground  among  us  is  shown 
in  many  ways.  The  number  of  books  and  magazines  dealing 
with  natural-history  subjects  in  a  popular  way,  increases  yearly 
to  meet  an  increasing  need.     A  constant  demand  exists  which 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 

calls  upon  our  specialists  in  Science  to  tell  what  they  know  in 
plain  readable  language,  and  expects  them  to  illustrate  their 
meaning  in  the  best  and  most  modern  manner.  The  public 
calls  for  increased  facilities  for  learning.  Popular  lectures, 
beautifully  illustrated,  have  become  the  order  of  the  day,  and 
the  labour  of  the  brain  may  be  had  cheaper  than  the  labour  of 
the  hands.  Biology  and  Nature  Study  have  taken  their  places 
in  the  courses  of  instruction  both  in  private  and  public  schools 
and  the  teachers  are  struggling  to  fit  themselves  to  meet  the 
new  requirements  ;  in  fact,  the  supply  does  not  equal  the  de- 
mand. Parents  are  seeking  for  companions  for  their  children 
in  their  hours  of  recreation  and  vacation  who  can  answer  ques- 
tions on  natural  objects  and  phenomena  ;  if  they  cannot  find 
the  right  person,  they  want  correct  books  and  magazines. 

That  the  true  love  of  Nature  imposes  certain  moral  responsi- 
bilities is  also  beginning  to  be  recognised.  First  and  foremost 
a  respect  and  care  for  living  things  will  do  away  with  that 
spirit  of  wanton  destruction  which  permits  the  killing  of  any 
animal  or  the  uprooting  or  trampling  of  a  living  plant,  just  for 
the  fun  of  it.  It  will  also  promote  a  spirit  of  unselfishness 
which  can  enjoy  the  beauties  of  Nature  and  leave  them  as  we 
found  them  for  some  one  else  to  enjoy  after  us.  It  also  pro- 
motes an  appreciation  and  love  of  truth  which  fosters  exactness 
and  precision.  From  a  pedagogic  standpoint  nature  studies 
are  of  the  utmost  importance,  as  they  bring  the  mind  to  the 
consideration  of  the  objective  rather  than  the  subjective  meth- 
ods. That  they  call  for  greater  individuality  and  latitude  of 
presentation  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  it  has  been  difficult  to 
secure  the  right  methods.  Our  schools  cannot  be  bound  by 
hard  and  fast  rules  and  requirements  ;  the  teacher  must  meet 
the  needs  and  opportunities  of  the  students  and  these  are  very 
diverse  in  different  schools  and  places.  She  must  be  ready  to 
make  use  of  any  facilities  and  accomplishments  that  individual 
scholars  may  afford  for  the  benefit  of  the  others,  and  to  bring 
drawing,  photography  and  poetry,  as  well  as  prose,  to  her  as- 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 

sistance.  Summer  schools  and  vacation  classes  seem  to  meet 
a  widespread  want,  and  to  take  teachers  and  pupils  away  from 
the  densely  populated  cities  is  better  than  to  bring  living  plants 
and  animals  to  them.  Therefore  a  book  that  leads  searchers 
to  know  what  they  will  find  in  the  country  is  the  best  kind  of  a 
book. 

Our  thanks  are  due  to  Miss  Lounsberry  and  Mrs.  Rowan  for 
having  contributed  a  work  which  cannot  fail  to  advance  Nature 
Study  in  quite  the  way  that  it  should  be  advanced.  Mrs.  Row- 
an's figures  have  been  drawn  from  plants  growing  in  their  nat- 
ural surroundings  and  they  are  accurate  and  elegant.  The 
new  process  by  which  it  has  been  made  possible  to  reproduce 
her  coloured  paintings  is  a  most  valuable  addition  to  methods 
of  illustration. 

N.  L.  Britton. 

New  York  Botanical  Garden, 
February  20,  1899. 


A  Chapter  to  Study. 


No  attempt  has  been  made  in  the  following  chapter  to  ac- 
quaint the  student  with  every  term  that  it  is  possible  to  use  in 
describing  the  organs  of  a  plant  ;  but  enough  have  been  ex- 
plained and  used  throughout  the  book  to  give  a  comprehensive 
vocabulary  of  the  subject  and  to  lead  one  up  to  the  enjoyment 
of  an  altogether  scientific  work  on  botany. 

The  existence  of  the  plant  and  that  of  the  animal  are  so 
closely  linked  together  that  it  would  be  rather  difficult  to  pro- 
phesy the  fate  of  one  were  the  other  to  withdraw  itself  from 
the  earth.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  see  that  they  seldom  encroach 
upon  each  other's  mission  in  life  ;  but  are  generously  helpful 
by  the  most  amicable  arrangements. 

The  plants  absorb  from  the  atmosphere  carbonic-acid  gas, 
which,  unless  this  were  so,  would  become  abundant  in  the  air 
and  be  injurious  to  animal  life.  They  exhale  oxygen,  which  is 
the  animal's  necessary  food.  The  opposite  course  is  pursued 
by  animals.  They  inhale  oxygen  and  exhale  carbonic-acid  gas. 
In  this  way  they  return  the  plants'  compliment  :  by  taking  from 
them  what  they  do  not  want  and  giving  them  as  food  what  they 
do  want. 

Again,  plants  are  almost  altogether  dependent  upon  animal 
life  to  perform  for  them  the  service  of  cross-fertilization,  page 
7.  The  birds,  the  butterflies  and  Master  Bee  and  his  family 
are  all  ceaselessly  busy  as  their  messengers.  But  there  is 
nothing  mean  about  the  flowers.  In  return,  they  are  quite 
aware  of,  and  cater  to,  the  tastes  of  all.  When  a  bird  carries 
the  seeds  of  a  flower  to  some  distant  place  and  deposits  them,  it 
is  only  a  slight  remuneration  for  the  delicious  luncheon  of  red 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


berries  which  he  has  enjoyed.  If  Master  Bee  follows  the  road 
that  is  plainly  marked  out  for  him  by  a  deep,  rich  veining  and 
sips  to  satiety  of  a  gland  of  nectar  ;  it  is  but  fair  that  the  an- 
thers should  load  him  well  with  a  cargo  of  pollen  to  carry  off 
to  the  pistil  of  another  flower.  In  fact,  as  we  become  more 
friendly  with  the  flowers  we  will  cease  to  lock  upon  them  so 
much  as  luxurious  creatures  but  rather  as  those  that  have 
solved  the  deep  problems  of  domestic  economy. 

The  plant's  individual  mission  in  life  is  the  reproduction  of 
itself. 

The  flower  and  its  products,  the  fruit  and  the  seeds,  are  the 
organs  of  reproduction. 

The  root,  the  stem  and  the  leaves  are  the  organs  of  vegeta- 
tion. 

The  Inflorescence  is  the  manner  in  which  the  flowers  are 
arranged  upon  the  stem. 

When  but  one  flower  grows  upon  the  end  of  the  stem  or 
flower-stalk,  it  is  said  to  be  terminal,  solitary. 

It  is  Axillary  when  the  flower,  or  flowers,  grow  from  the 
axils  of  the  leaves,  or  in  the  angle  formed  by  the  leaf,  or  leaf- 
stalk, and  the  stem.     (Fig.  i.) 


FIG.  I.  FIG.  2.  FIG.  3. 

A  Pedicel  is  the  individual  stalk  of  a  flower  borne  in  a  clus- 
ter, 

A  Peduncle  is  the  stalk  of  a  solitary  flower,  or  the  general 
stalk  that  bears  a  cluster. 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


Sessile  is  the  term  used  when  the  flowers  grow  closely  to 
the  stem  and  are  without  either  pedicel  or  peduncle. 

A  Raceme  is  when  the  flowers  grow  on  pedicels  about 
equally  long  that  are  arranged  along  the  sides  of  a  common 
stalk.     (Fig.  2.) 

A  Panicle  is  a  compound  raceme.     (Fig.  3.) 


FIG.  4.  FIG.  5.  FIG.  6.  FIG.  7. 

A  spike  is  like  a  raceme,  only  the  flowers  are  sessile.  (Fig.  4.) 
A  Spadix  is  a  fleshy  spike  that  is  usually  enveloped  by  a 
leaf-like  bract  called  a  spathe.     (Figs.  5  and  6.) 

A  Head  or  Capitulum  is  a  short,  dense  spike  that  is  globu- 
lar in  form.     (Fig.  7.) 


'^^p     ^§^ 


FIG.   8.  FIG.  9.  FIG   10. 

A  Corymb  is  a  raceme  in  which  the  lower  pedicels  are 
elongated  so  that  the  flowers  all  reach  about  the  same  height. 
(Fig.  8.) 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


An  Umbel  is  like  a  corymb,  only  the  pedicels  branch  from 
the  same  central  point,  suggesting  the  ribs  of  an  umbrella.  It 
may  be  simple,  or  compound.     (Fig.  9.) 

A  Cyme  is  a  flat-topped  inflorescence,  differing  from  an 
umbel  in  that  its  innermost  flowers  are  the  first  to  open.     (Fig. 

10.) 

A  Complete  flower  is  one  that  is  provided  with  the  essential 
organs  of  reproduction,  the  stamens  and  pistil  ;  and  the  pro- 
tecting organs,  the  calyx  and  corolla.  As  an  example  of  a 
complete  or  typical  flower  we  may  take  the  one  illustrated  in 
Fig.  II  and  12. 


CumsM. 


CAcn^ 


FIG.    II.  FIG.    12.  FIG.    I3. 

The  Calyx  is  the  lower,  outer  set  of  leaves  at  the  base  of 
the  flower  which  rests  upon  the  receptacle,  or  end  of  the  flower- 
stalk.  It  is  usually  green,  but  not  always.  At  times  we  find  it 
brilliantly  coloured  and  conspicuous.     (See  Fig.  12.) 

The  Sepals  are  the  leaves  of  the  calyx  when  it  is  divided  to 
the  base. 

The  Calyx  is  gamosepalous  when  the  sepals  are  wholly  or 
partly  grown  together. 

The  Corolla  is  the  next  inner  and  upper  set  of  leaves.  It 
is  the  alluring  part  of  the  flower,  and  attracts  the  bees  and  but- 
terflies to  its  whereabouts  that  its  pollen  maybe  carried  through 
their  agency.    (Fig.  12.) 

The  Petals  are  the  leaves  of  the  corolla  when  it  is  divided 
to  the  base. 

The  Corolla  is  said  to  be  gamopetalous  when  the  petals 
are  wholly  or  partly  grown  together. 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


The  Calyx  and  Corolla  are  spoken  of  as  parted  when 
they  are  divided  nearly  to  the  base.  When  they  are  divided 
about  half  way  they  are  said  to  be  cleft,  or  lobed.  They  are 
TOOTHED  when  the  lobes  are  very  small. 

When  the  parts  of  the  Calyx  or  Corolla  are  united,  the 
terms  used  to  express  their  different  forms  are : 

Salver-Shaped  :  when  the  border  is  flat  and  spread  out  at 
right  angles  from  the  top  of  the  tube.     (Fig.  13.) 


FIG.    14.  FIG.    15.  FIG.    16.  FIG.    1 7. 

Wheel-Shaped  :  when  the  border  suggests  the  diverging 
spokes  of  a  wheel  and  spreads  out  at  once,  having  a  very  short 
tube.     (Fig.  14.) 

Bell-Shaped,  or  Campanulate  :  when  the  tube  expands 
towards  the  summit  and  has  no  border,  or  only  a  short  one. 
(Fig.  15.) 

Funnel-Formed :  when  the  tube  is  narrow  below,  and 
spreads  gradually  to  a  wide  border.     (Fig.  16,) 


LOMA  Uf.,m»^j 


FIG.    18.  FIG.    19.  FIG.    20,  FIG.    21. 

Tubular  :  when  the  tube  is  prolonged,  and  does  not  widen 
much  towards  the  summit.     (Fig.  17.) 

Ligulate :  when  appearing  strap-shaped,  as  in  the  dandelion 
and  chicory.    (Fig.  18.) 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


Labiate  :  when  there  is  an  apparently  two-Hpped  division  of 
the  parts.  In  this  form  of  corolla  usually  two  petals  grow  to- 
gether and  make  the  upper  lip  ;  the  remaining  three  petals  join 
together  and  form  the  lower  lip.  These  divisions  appear  mostly 
as  lobes,  and  it  is  not  always  noticed  that  the  flowers  are  of  five 
lobes  instead  of  two.     (Fig.  19.) 


FIG.  24.  FIG.  25.  FIG.  26. 

When  the  petals  are  not  grown  together  but  are  wholly  sepa- 
rate, the  corolla  is  said  to  be  polypetalous.  Different  forms 
are  : 

Rosaceous :  when  the  petals  are  distinct  and  without  claws, 
as  in  the  rose. 

Cruciferous :  when  there  are  four  clawed  petals  in  the  form 
of  a  cross.     (Fig.  20.) 

Papilionaceous,  or  butterfly-shaped.  (Fig.  21.)  Such 
flowers  are  usually  described  in  three  parts  :  the  banner,  or 
standard,  which  is  the  large  upper  petal ;  the  wings,  or  the 
two  side  petals,  and  the  two  anterior  petals  that,  commonly 
united  in  a  shape  something  like  the  prow  of  a  boat  and  enclos- 
ing the  reproducing  organs,  are  called  the  keel.     (Fig.  22.) 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY.  7 

Regular  Flowers  are  those  that  have  the  parts  of  each  set, 
the  sepals  and  petals,  alike  in  size  and  form.  (Fig.  23.)  Irregu- 
lar Flowers  are  the  reverse  of  regular.     (Fig.  24.) 

It  is  sometimes  found  that  only  one  set  of  floral  leaves  is 
present.  It  is  then  regarded  as  the  Calyx.  Collectively  the 
floral  envelope,  or  the  protecting  organs,  is  spoken  of  as  the 
Perianth  ;  but  the  word  is  mostly  used  in  cases  where  the 
calyx  and  corolla  run  into  each  other  so  that  it  is  difficult  to 
distinguish  them  apart.     The  lily  family  have  a  perianth. 

The  Stamens,  or  Fertilizing  Organs,  of  the  plant  are 
composed  of  two  parts  :  the  Filament,  or  stalk,  which  is  use- 
ful to  uphold  the  Anther ;  and  the  Anther,  a  tiny  two-ceiled 
box  which  contains  the  Pollen.  The  Pollen  is  the  yellow 
fertilizing  powder  which  is  the  essential  product  of  the 
stamens.     (Fig.  25.) 

Exserted  Stamens  are  those  that  protrude  from  the 
corolla. 

Included  Stamens  are  those  that  are  within  the  corolla. 

The  Pistil,  or  Seed-Bearing  Organ,  is  divided  into  three 
parts :  the  Ovary,  the  Style,  and  the  Stigma.     (Fig.  26.) 

The  Ovary  is  the  lower  expanded  part  of  the  pistil  that 
contains  the  Ovules,  or  undeveloped  seeds.     (Fig.  26.) 

The  Style  is  the  slender  stalk  that  usually  surmounts  the 
ovary.     (Fig.  26.) 

The  Stigma  is  the  flat  or  variously  formed  body  that  ter- 
minates the  style.  (Fig.  26.)  Unlike  the  other  organs  of  the 
plant,  it  is  not  covered  by  a  thin  skin  or  epidermis.  Its  surface 
is  therefore  moist  and  rough  so  that  it  readily  receives  and 
holds  the  pollen  when  it  is  deposited  upon  its  surface. 

Each  tiny  pollen  grain  that  alights  on  the  stigma  sends  out 
a  minute  tube  that  pierces  down  through  the  style  until  it 
reaches  an  ovule  below,  which  it  quickens  into  life.  This  is 
known  as  the  process  of  Fertilization.  The  ovules  then  de- 
velop into  Seeds,  and  the  ovary  enlarges  into  the  Fruit,  or 
Seed  Vessel. 

Cross-Fertilization   is   when  the  pollen  of   one  flower  is 


8 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY 


carried  to  the  stigma  of  another  by  some   extraneous   agency, 
such  as  the  wind  or  animal  life. 

Self-Fertilization  is  when  the  stigma  receives  the  pollen 
from  the  stamens  in  the  same  flower-cup  as  itself.  To  prevent 
this  catastrophe  the  plants  are  ever  upon  the  alert,  experience 
teaching  them  that  the  result  is  not  good.  Often  either  no 
seeds  at  all  mature  or  their  progeny  is  a  weakling. 


FIG.  30. 


FIG.  31. 


FIG.  32. 


FIG.  29. 


A  Perfect  Flower  is  one  that  has  both  stamens  and  pistil. 
The  reverse  is  called  an  Imperfect  Flower. 

A  Neutral  Flower  is  one  that  has  neither  stamens  nor 
pistils. 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY.  9 

Staminate  Flowers  are  those  that  have  stamens  but  are 
without  pistils. 

Pistillate  Flowers  are  those  that  have  pistils  but  no 
stamens. 

The  terms  male  and  female  that  are  sometimes  employed  in- 
stead of  STAMINATE  and  PISTILLATE  are  used  wrongly  and 
should  be  avoided  by  even  those  that  have  no  pretention  to 
botanical  knowledge.  It  is  the  product  of  these  organs  and 
not  they  themselves  that  should  be  so  called  if  the  terms  are 
used  at  all  ;  but  staminate  and  pistillate  are  the  correct  and 
accepted  expressions. 

Cleistogamous  flowers  are  those  small,  inconspicuous  blos- 
soms of  the  late  season  that  usually  grow  near  the  ground  and 
never  open.  They  are,  however,  fruitful,  being  self-fertilized 
within  themselves.     Violets  bear  them  abundantly. 

Leaves  may  be  looked  upon  as  appendages  of  the  stem. 
They  are  the  digestive  organs  of  the  plant  and  assimilate  the 
sap  into  material  for  sustaining  its  tissues. 

The  Blade  is  the  usually  broad,  flat  part  of  the  leaf. 

Stipules  are  the  two  small  blade-like  parts  at  the  base  of 
the  petiole.     They  are  often  inconspicuous,  or  absent. 

Bracts  are  the  modified  leaves  of  an  inflorescence  or  those 
that  are  under  a  flower.  Usually  they  are  green  and  of  different 
size  and  shape  than  the  rest  of  the  foliage  ;  sometimes,  how- 
ever, they  are  highly  coloured  and  petal-like. 

The  three  principal  ways  in  which  leaves  are  arranged  upon 
the  stem  are  : 

Alternate  :  that  is  when  one  leaf  appears  just  above  the  other 
on  another  side  of  the  stem.     (Fig.  27.) 

Opposite :  when  two  appear  at  each  joint,  having  the  semi- 
circle of  the  stem  between  them.     (Fig.  28.) 

Whorled  :  when  they  grow  at  intervals  in  a  circle  around  the 
stem.     (Fig.  29.) 

The  Veining  of  the  leaves  is  classed  under  two  divisions  : 
Netted- Veined  and  Parallel-Veined. 

Netted-Veined  leaves  are  those  in  which  the  veins  branch 


lO 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


off  from  the  midrib  and  branch  again  into  veinlets  that  run  to- 
gether and  form  a  network,  or  mesh.  (Fig.  30.)  Netted- 
veined  leaves  are  said  to  be  Feather-Veined  when  the  sec- 
ondary veins  all  start  from  the  sides  of  the  midrib,  running 
from  the  base  to  the  apex  of  the  leaf.  (Fig.  31.)  They  are 
called  Palmately-Veined  when  several  veins  of  equal  size 
start  from  the  same  point  at  the  base  of  the  leaf  and  spread  out 
towards  the  margin. 

Parallel-Veined  leaves  are  those  in  which  the  main  veins  run 
side  by  side,  without  branching  or  running  together.     (Fig.  32.) 

The  veining  of  the  leaves  is  always  in  complete  harmony 
with  their  shape,  so  that  much  can  be  learned  by  noticing  this 
feature  carefully. 


FIG.  33.  FIG.  34.  FIG.  35.  FIG.  36. 

Leaves  vary  greatly  in  general  outline,  and  the  following 
terms  are  used  to  designate  some  of  their  common  forms  : 

Linear :  the  narrowest  form  of  a  leaf — several  times  longer 
than  broad  :  grass-like.     (Fig.  32.) 

Lanceolate  :  long  and  narrow,  slightly  broader  at  the  base 
and  tapering  towards  the  apex.     (Fig.  30.) 

Oblanceolate   is  a  reversed  lanceolate. 

Oblong" :  when  two  or  three  times  broader  than  long. 
(Fig.  31.) 

Elliptical  :  oblong  but  tapering  at  both  ends.     (Fig.  $:^,) 

Oval  :  broadly  elliptical.     (Fig.  34.) 

Ovate  :  when  the  outline  is  similar  to  the  shape  of  an  tgg, 
the  broader  end  downward.    (Fig.  ^6.) 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


II 


Obovate  :  the  reverse  of  ovate. 

Spatulate  :  like  a  spatula,  rounded  at  the  apex  and  tapering 
towards  the  base.     (Fig.  35.) 

Orbicular,  nearly  circular  or  rounded  in  outline.     (Fig.  41.) 

Cordate  or  Heart-Shaped  :  when  the  outline  is  ovate,  the 
sides  forming  a  notch  at  the  base.     (Fig.  37.) 


FIG.  37.  FIG.  38.  FIG.  39.  FIG.  40. 

Obcordate  :  the  reverse  of  cordate. 

Reniform,  or  Kidney-Shaped  :  when  the  indentation  is 
deeper  and  the  leaf  more  rounded  than  heart-shaped.     (Fig.  $S.) 

Auriculate  :  when  the  sides  of  the  leaf  are  prolonged  at  the 
base  into  two  ears  or  lobes,     (Fig.  39.) 


FIG.   41.  FIG.   42.  FIG.   43. 

Sagittate,  or  Arrow-Shaped  :  when  these  lobes  are  acute 
and  pointed  backward.     (Fig.  40.) 


12 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


Peltate,  or  Shield-Shaped :  when  the  leaf  is  orbicular, 
with  the  petiole  attached  to  the  middle.     (Fig.  41.) 

Entire  Leaves  are  those  in  which  the  margins  form  an  un- 
broken line.     (Fig.  35.) 

Undulate  Leaves  have  margins  that  are  wavy.    (Fig.  33.) 

Serrate  Leaves  have  margins  with  short,  sharp  teeth  that 
point  forward.     (Fig.  30.) 

Crenate,  or  Scolloped :  when  the  teeth  are  rounded. 
(Fig.  31.) 

Incised  :  when  the  teeth  are  coarse  and  jagged  and  extend 
deeper  into  the  leaf.     (Fig.  34.) 


FIG.  44.  FIG.  4$.  FIG.  46. 

Lobed  :  when  the  incisions  extend  about  half  way  to  the 
midrib  ;  and  in  which  case  the  leaf  is  spoken  of  as  three  lobed, 
five  lobed,  or  according  to  the  number  of  lobes  formed.     (Fig. 

42.) 

Cleft  :  when  the  incisions  reach  more  than  half  way  to  the 
midrib.     (Fig.  43.) 

Divided  :  when  the  incisions  extend  to  the  midrib. 

Compound  Leaves  have  the  blade  split  into  separate  parts, 
the  little  blades  forming  leaflets.  When  the  leaflets  are  ar- 
ranged similarly  to  feather-veins  they  are  said  to  be  Pinnate. 
When  arranged  as  the  veins  in  a  palmately-veined  leaf  they  are 
Palmate.    (Fig.  44.) 

Abruptly  Pinnate  Leaves  are  those  in  which  the  main 
stalk  is  terminated  by  a  pair  of  leaflets.     {Fig.  45.) 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


13 


Odd-Pinnate  :  when  an  odd  leaflet  terminates  the  stalk. 
(Fig.  46.)  Sometimes  this  end  leaflet  is  changed  into  a  tendril, 
which  aids  the  plant  in  climbing. 

Leaves  may  be  twice,  thrice  or  more  times  compound.  (Fig. 
47.)  The  leaflets  are  subject  to  all  the  variations  and  may  be 
described  after  the  manner  of  simple  leaves.  In  fact,  the  expres- 
sions here  given  are  applicable  to  any  flat  part  of  the  plant,  the 
petals  or  sepals  as  well  as  the  leaves. 

Glaucous  :  when  any  part  of  the  plant  is  covered  with  a 
powdery  substance  called  a  bloom. 

Glabrous :   when  the  parts  are  without  bristles  or  hairs. 

Pubescent :  when  covered  with  fine  hairs  or  downy. 


FIG.  47.  FIG,  49.  FIG.  50. 

The  Stem  is  that  part  of  the  plant  that  grows  upward  to 
the  light  and  air,  supports  the  foliage  and  makes  it  possible  for 
the  leaves  to  expand  and  present  as  large  a  surface  as  possible 
to  the  sunlight.  Its  manner  of  growth  is  described  as  be- 
ing : 

Erect :  when  growing  up  vertically. 

Decumbent:  lying  on  the  ground  but  raising  itself  at  the 
end.     (Fig.  48.) 

Procumbent :  lying  flat  on  the  ground.     (Fig.  49.) 

Creeping:  running  along  the  ground  and  rooting  at  the 
joints.     (Fig.  50.) 

A  Simple  Stem  is  one  that  is  not  branched. 

It  is   interesting  to  notice  the  wisdom  with  which  stems   ac- 


14 


A  CHAPTER  TO  STUDY. 


commodate  themselves  to  the  necessities  of  the  plant.  We  find 
some  stems  growing  entirely  underground  and  storing  up  nour- 
ishment for  the  plant's  growth  during  the  next  season.  These 
stems  are  called  the  Rootstock  and  are  distinguishable  from 
the  root  by  bearing  scales,  which  are  not  found  on  roots  proper. 
(Fig.  51.) 

The  Tuber  is  the  end  of  a  rootstock  that  is  thickened   or 
enlarged.     The  enlarged  part  is  possessed  of  eyes  (buds).     The 
common  potato  is  a  familiar  illustration  of  tubers.     (Fig.  52.) 
The  Corm  is  a  rounded,  compact  rootstock.     (Fig.  53.) 
The  Bulb  is  a  corm  mostly  made  up  of   fleshy  scales.     (Fig. 
S4-) 


FIG.  51.  FTG.  52.  FIG.  53.  FIG.  54. 

The  Scape  is  a  leafless  peduncle,  or  the  flower-stalk  of  a 
plant  that  has  no  stem. 

The  Root  proper  grows  downward  in  the  ground  and  bears 
nothing  but  rootlets  and  root-branches.  Its  principal  function 
in  life  is  to  absorb  the  nourishment  from  the  soil. 

Aerial  Roots  are  produced  in  the  open  air  and  serve  the 
plant  by  acting  as  holdfasts,  or  helping  it  to  climb. 

Parasites  intermingle  their  roots  with  the  roots  or  stems  of 
other  plants  and  drain  from  them  their  sustenance. 

Thorns  are  modified  branches.  Their  purpose  is  to  guard 
the  plant  from  animals  that  would  strip  it  of  its  stem  and 
bark. 


Five  Conspicuous  Plant  Families. 


We  find,  much  to  our  encouragement,  that  there  are  a  few 
plant  families  with  which  we  at  once  become  familiar  ;  and  their 
marked  features  impress  us  as  those  of  unusual  faces  that  have 
to  be  seen  but  once  to  be  clearly  remembered.  The  greater 
number  of  families,  however,  and  their  branches  are  not  so  read- 
ily known.  The  least  little  variation  in  a  plant's  manner  of 
growth  will  cause  it  to  be  separated  from  its  relatives,  even 
if  it  has  to  be  regarded  as  a  new  species. 

The  first  Latin  or  Greek  word  of  a  plant's  scientific  name  is 
the  name  of  its  genus:  its  family  name.  The  second  word  is 
an  adjective  that  denotes  its  species  and  is  usually  significant 
of  some  characteristic  or  history  with  which  it  is  connected. 
These  names  are  too  valuable  to  be  overlooked,  and  as  much 
as  possible  they  should  be  memorised.  The  world  over,  a 
plant's  scientific  name  is  the  same,  while  the  common  English 
names  often  change  not  only  with  country,  but  with  state  and 
town.  Following  are  a  few  traits  of  families  that  are  among 
those  most  easily  recognised  : 

THE  ARUM  FAMILY. 

AracecE. 

Although  one  of  the  smallest  in  numbers,  the  arum  family 
comprises  some  of  our  most  quaint  and  interesting  flowers.  Its 
characteristics  are  strongly  marked  and  its  tastes  appear  to  be 
most  patrician.  We  may  believe  that  it  does  not  concern  it- 
self about  the  fashions,  as   it  makes  no  attempt  to  follow  the 


i6  FIVE  CONSPICUOUS  PLANT  FAMILIES. 

modes  of  other  noted  families  ;  but  continues  its  own  conserva- 
tive way  of  bearing  its  flowers  closely  packed  on  a  thick  spadix 
and  usually  sheathing  them  with  a  handsome  spathe. 

These  tiny  flowers  are  often  imperfect  and  sometimes  naked, 
— that  is,  without  calyx  or  corolla.  When  the  latter  are  present 
they  are  seldom  highly  coloured.  Under  the  microscope  they 
are  excellent  studies  and  sometimes  very  beautiful. 

As  a  family  they  show  a  keen  appreciation  of  harmony  in  the 
exquisite  blending  of  colours  in  the  spathe,  or  by  its  appearing 
spotlessly  white. 

The  white  calla,  the  stately  queen  of  the  greenhouses,  Jack  in 
the  pulpit  and  the  skunk  cabbage  are  all  conspicuous  members. 
The  golden  club  is  the  wayward  exception,  in  having  no  spathe. 
All  are  widely  dissimilar  in  appearance  and  hold  different  posi- 
tions in  life,  and  yet  they  bear  so  strongly  the  marks  of  this 
exclusive  family  as  to  be  at  once  recognisable.  The  leaves  are 
mostly  rather  netted-veined  and  the  plants  contain  an  acrid, 
pungent,  watery  juice.  Many  of  them  are  also  known  as  yield- 
ing an  edible  farina,  or  starch. 

THE  LILY  FAMILY. 

LiliacecE. 

The  lily  family  is  one  that  is  distinctly  marked  by  its  regular, 
symmetrical  flowers.  Its  floral  envelope  is  a  perianth  that  is 
sometimes  white  or  gaily  coloured,  but  very  rarely  green.  Al- 
most invariably  it  is  of  six  equal  parts.  There  are  six  stamens 
with  two-celled  anthers,  and  a  three-celled  ovary  that  is  free 
from  the  receptacle.  The  style  is  undivided.  The  leaves  are 
entire  and  parallel-veined,  or  sometimes  netted-veined. 

The  word  lily  would  probably  form  as  many  different  pic- 
tures in  the  mind  as  there  were  individuals  to  whom  it  had  been 
presented.  Some  would  at  once  recall  the  greenhouse  calla, 
which,  as  has  already  been  said,  is  no  lily  at  all  and  a  member 
of  the  arum  family.  Others  would  think  of  the  pure  resurrec- 
tion lily  and  again  others  would  think  of  the  swarthy,  upright 


FIVE  CONSPICUOUS  PLANT  FAMILIES.  17 

tiger  lily  of  the  fields.  The  fragrant,  drooping  bells  of  the  lily- 
of-the-valley  would  cling  to  the  minds  of  many,  pjut  whatever 
the  form  of  the  lily  that  its  name  is  associated  with,  it  is  invari- 
ably graceful  and  beautiful.  As  a  family  it  is  singularly  with- 
out obnoxious  qualities. 

THE  PULSE  FAMILY. 

PapilionacecB. 

The  butterfly-shaped  or  papilionaceous  corolla  serves  readily 
to  identify  a  member  of  the  pulse  family.  It  is  almost  as  un- 
failing as  the  nose  of  the  Hohenzollerns.  But  we  poor  mortals 
may  not  flatter  ourselves  that  it  has  been  thus  considerate  to 
facilitate  our  study  of  the  genus.  The  family  has  a  very  subtle 
way  of  achieving  its  ends  in  this  world. 

It  has  been  observed  that  flowers  that  are  dependent  upon 
insects  for  cross-fertilization  have  usually  an  irregularly  shaped 
corolla.     It  is  so  with  the  pulse  family. 

They  offer  no  comfortable  seat  or  resting  place  for  Master 
Bee  and  therefore  force  the  poor  fellow  to  let  the  weight  of  his 
whole  body  knock  against  the  blossom  as  he  thumps  about  in 
search  of  nectar.  It  is  for  this  little  push  that  the  flower  has 
been  planning.  The  stigma  that  was  enclosed  in  the  keel  is 
knocked  out,  and  the  pollen  grains  that  were  already  on  the 
style  from  early-maturing  anthers  are  dropped  upon  the  bee's 
back.  Little  suspecting  the  trick  that  has  been  played  upon 
him,  he  saunters  off  to  another  member  of  the  family,  as  he  is 
again  allured  by  the  irregular  corolla  and  the  purplish  pink 
that  is  his  favourite  colour.  As  before,  he  knocks  about  for  a  seat 
and  pushes  out  the  stigma,  which  then  greedily  receives  the 
pollen  with  which  his  back  is  covered  from  his  last  visit.  In 
this  way  the  pulse  family  manages  the  little  matter  of  cross- 
fertilization.  It  has  the  true  method  of  allowing  others  to  do 
its  work.  And  that  its  system  is  good  is  proved  by  the  vigour 
and  freshness  of  its  growth. 

The  flowers  are  always  arranged  in  fives,  or  multiples  of  five. 


i8  FIVE  CONSPICUOUS  PLANT  FAMILIES. 

The  stamens  do  not  exceed  ten  and  are  usually  united  by  their 
filaments.  The  leaves  are  mostly  compound,  with  entire  leaf- 
lets. Papilionaceae  is  the  name  that  is  now  used  as  distinctive 
of  this  family  and  in  preference  to  that  of  Leguminosae,  under 
which  they  were  formerly  known, 

THE  PRIMROSE  FAMILY. 

Prz?nuldcecE. 

We  may  look  upon  the  primrose  family  as  a  group  that  shows 
us  regular,  perfect  flowers.  And  after  having  tried  our  pa- 
tience over  the  unexpected  developments  of  other  families  it  is 
certainly  a  pleasure  to  come  upon  one  of  these  straightforward 
little  blossoms,  whose  motto  seems  to  be,  to  jog  along  as  com- 
fortably as  possible  and  to  make  no  mystery  of  its  ways.  There 
is  no  lack  of  originality,  however,  among  the  primroses.  The 
shooting  star  is  a  very  different-appearing  flower  from  the  spread- 
ing poor-man's  weather-glass,  or  the  yellow  loosestrife.  It  is  not 
a  very  large  family  and  may  be  known  on  the  whole  as  gamopet- 
alous  herbs  that  are  arranged  in  divisions  of  five,  rarely  six  or 
seven.  There  are  as  many  stamens  as  there  are  lobes  of  the 
corolla,  which  are  inserted  on  and  opposite  the  latter.  The 
stigma  and  style  are  undivided.  In  fruit  the  ovary,  which  is 
one-celled,  enlarges  into  a  pod  ;  and  in  different  species  the 
number  of  seeds  varies  greatly.  The  leaves  may  be  generally 
said  to  be  simple.  The  generic  name.  Primula,  is  from  primus, 
spring.     Bryant  says  of  the  primrose  : 

"  Emblem  of  early  sweetness,  early  death, 
Nestled  the  lowly  primrose." 

THE  COMPOSITE  FAMILY. 

Co7np6siicE. 
The   composite  family,  like  the  majority  of  mortals,  has  its 
good  and  its  bad  characteristics;  but  if  we  drink  deep  enough 
of  knowledge  of  the  family  and  put  ourselves  in  friendship  with 


FIVE  CONSPICUOUS  PLANT  FAMILIES.  19 

it,  we  will  probably  find  that  we  are  tipped  in  the  scale  of  its 
favour. 

We  must  first  resign  a  natural  feeling  of  resentment  at  its 
aggressiveness  and  its  habit  of  flaunting  itself  from  every 
available  space.  Its  children,  we  must  remember,  have  been 
a  little  neglected  in  education  and  know  no  better.  They 
arrive  at  a  season  of  the  year  when  the  dear  preacher 
has  retired  from  his  pulpit  and  they  have  not  the  advantage  of 
hearing  his  good  doctrine.  The  violet  is  busy  rooting  its  run- 
ners for  the  next  season's  growth  and  no  longer  raises  its  head 
to  teach  them  about  modesty.  So  being  born  with  rather  bold 
tastes,  the  poor  composites  think  that  they  are  doing  quite  a 
fine  thing  in  puffing  themselves  up  and  topping  over  everything. 

If  they  were  much  spoken  about  in  the  good  old-fashioned 
times  it  must  have  been  with  the  expression  that  there  was  not  a 
lazy  hair  in  one  of  their  heads.  The  energetic  way  in  which 
they  set  about  dispersing  their  seeds  is  truly  wonderful,  and,  as 
has  been  already  hinted  at,  their  moral  character  not  being 
fully  developed,  they  have  no  compunction  whatever  in  using 
some  very  extraordinary  means.  But  this  might  possibly  be 
explained  by  their  agreeing  with  Loyola  in  doctrine.  The  un- 
kind way  many  of  them  have  of  covering  sheep,  the  only  animal 
without  a  weapon  of  defense,  with  their  hooked  fruits  is  alluded 
to  in  this  connection. 

To  those  that  complain  of  their  downright  maliciousness  in 
retaliation  for  the  hay  fever,  the  composites  answer  calmly  : 
"  We  are  a  family  that  does  not  invite  intimacy.  View  us  from 
a  distance,  en  masse^  and  many  of  our  failings  will  be  over- 
looked." Evidently  this  lesson  of  avoiding  familiarity  is  what 
they  wish  us  to  learn. 

And  who  does  not  delight  in  the  fields  that  are  radiant  with 
their  rich  autumn  colouring?  They  visit  the  earth  when  the 
more  delicate  blossoms  have  passed  bloom,  and  they  find 
things  dry  and  dusty,  showing  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  summer. 
Then  what  can  be  more  natural  than  that  they  should  say  to 


20  FIVE  CONSPICUOUS  PLANT  FAMILIES. 

themselves  :  "  Brighten  up  the  earth,  appear  in  every  waste 
corner,  wave  and  bend  with  the  breeze.  Things  are  looking 
humdrum  here  ;  make  the  earth  a  merry  carnival  of  dancing 
colour." 

The  flowers  are  rather  difficult  for  a  beginner  to  analyse  with 
reference  to  their  species,  of  which  there  are  over  ten  thou- 
sand. It  is,  however,  not  so  much  what  one  learns  in  books 
about  them  as  it  is  what  one  finds  out.  They  may  be  easily 
recognised  by  bearing  in  mind  that  the  flowers  are  closely 
packed  together  in  heads  that  are  surrounded  by  an  involucre. 
The  individual  flowers  are  tubular  or  ligulate,  as  in  the  thistle 
and  dandelion,  and  again  both  tubular  and  ligulate  flowers  are 
arranged  in  the  same  head.  In  this  case  they  are  called  ray 
and  disk  flowers.  The  common  field  daisy  is  a  well-known 
illustration  of  the  latter. 


PLATE   I.      WATER. ARUM.      Calla  Palustris. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,   BY  FREDERICK  *.  STOKES  COMPANY 
PRINTED  IN  AMERICA. 


Plants  Growing  in  Water. 


Almost  hidden  tinder  the  benevolejtt  shade  of  an  overhang- 
ing bough  a  little  pond  is  lying.  It  has  awaked  from  its 
lo7ig  winter  sleep  of  apathy  and  is  upholding  its  world  of 
life  to  the  sunshine.  The  pale,  apple-green  growth  that  clings 
about  the  edges,  the  tall  spikes  of  water-weed,  the  darting, 
skipping  beetles  and  fishes  and  the  graceful  lilies  floating 
about  are  all  in  love  with  the  iridescent,  opal  tints  of  the 
water. 

Here  we  may  think  of  them  together  ;  for  it  would  be  a 
queer  sight  to  see  the  bullfrog  or  the  lily  gambolling  upon  the 
sunny  hillsides, 

WATER=ARUM.     WILD  CALLA.     {Plate  I.) 

C cilia  palustris. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Arum.  White.  Disagreeable.  Penn.  northward.  June. 

Injlorescence :  terminal ;  solitary.  The  flowers  clustered  upon  a  thick,  fleshy 
spadix  about  which  a  milk-white  spathe,  one  and  one-half  inches  at  base,  is 
wrapped.  Fi/amefifs :  s]ei\der.  A nt/iers :  two-celled.  Z^az'^j-;  on  long  petioles, 
rather  heart-shaped.     Rootstock  :  creeping. 

This  little  plant  wafts  across  the  mind  visions  of  an  under- 
world garden.  And  if  there  is  such  a  place  the  flowers  there 
must  surely  glance  upward  and  think  of  the  wild  callas  as 
fairies  that  have  flown  above  ;  for  much  mystery  lies  in  their 
dainty  whiteness.  They  have  luxurious  relatives  living  in  green- 
houses, and  although  the  calla-lily  has  snobbishly  disowned  this 


22  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

little  dweller  of  the  ditches  and  watery  places,  the  family  resem- 
blance is  very  striking.  The  quarrel  came  about  the  anthers 
of  the  Egyptian,  which  have  no  filaments  and  are  sessile,  and 
because  of  a  difference  in  the  cell  division  of  the  ovary.  So 
our  little  plant  has  been  separated  from  it, 

Linnaeus  tells  us  that  the  rhizomes,  which  we  find  intensely 
acrid  and  caustic,  are  made  by  the  Laplanders  into  a  kind  of 
bread  that  by  them  is  most  highly  relished. 

GOLDEN  CLUB.     (JPlate  IL) 
Ordntium   aqudticum. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Arum. 

Golden. 

Scentless. 

Mass.  southward. 

May. 

Flowers:  very  small;  crowded  on  a  spadix.  Leaves:  on  long  petioles; 
floating  ;  oblong.     Scape :  naked  ;  slender. 

Of  all  the  aquatics  the  golden  club  is  perhaps  the  most  curi- 
ous. It  is  a  simple  member  of  its  family.  The  Arums 
have  been  most  careful  to  envelope  their  flowers  in  a  generous 
spathe,  that  they  might  appear  before  the  world  in  a  seemly 
garment.  The  wild  calla,  Jack-in-the-pulpit,  even  the  skunk 
cabbage,  have  all  adhered  most  closely  to  this  little  conven- 
tionality. It  must  be  something  of  a  shock  to  their  sense  of 
propriety  to  have  the  golden  club  dispense  with  this  clothing 
and  flaunt  itself  before  the  world  with  no  protection  whatever 
for  its  poor  little  flowers.  Whether  the  plant  is  more  advanced 
in  its  theories  and  at  some  future  time  we  shall  see  all  the 
members  of  this  lovely  family  without  their  spathes,  we  do  not 
know.  But  if  wishes  are  powerful  we  may  sincerely  hope  that 
it  shall  not  come  to  pass. 

Writers  that  are  familiar  with  the  diet  of  the  Indians  tell  us 
that  the  plant  is  known  to  them  as  Taw-kee  and  that  they  find 
the  dried  seeds  very  good  when  boiled  like  peas.  They  eat 
the  roots,  also,  after  they  have  been  roasted.  The  red  man, 
with  his  instinct  for  scenting  the  properties  of  herbs,  does  not 
need  the  botanist  to  caution  him  that  when  raw  they  are  very 
poisonous. 


Flower.  Stamen. 

PLATE  JI.    GOLDEN  CLUB.     Orontkon  aquaticum. 

(23) 


24  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 


WATER-SHIELD. 

Brasenia  pn7'purea. 

FAMILY 
Water-lily. 

COLOUR 

Purple. 

ODOUR                        RANGE 

Scentless.                    General. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 
All  sumtner. 

Floivers :  small;  axillary.  Calyx  and  Corolla:  of  three  or  four  divisions. 
Stamens:  twelve  to  eighteen. ^  Pistils:  four  to  eighteen.  Leaves:  on  long 
petioles,  peltate,  two  or  three  inches  wide,  floating.     Rootstock  :  creeping. 

One  of  our  interesting  little  aquatics  that  is  fond  of  sluggish 
streams  and  ponds  and  not  over  careful  about  soiling  its  appear- 
ance on  muddy  shores.  The  lower  side  of  its  leaves  and  stems 
is  covered  with  a  sticky  substance  like  jelly. 

WHITE  WATER=LILY.     WATER  NYMPH. 

Castdlia  odorhta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Water-lily.  White  or  rose.  Fragrant.  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers :  large ;  solitary.  Calyx :  of  four  to  six  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  numer- 
ous petals  in  many  concentric  circles,  the  innermost  passing  gradually  into 
stamens.  Stamens:  numerous.  Pistil :  one,  having  a  many-celled  ovary,  the 
rounded  top  of  which  produces  radiate  stigmas  around  a  central  projection. 
Leaves :  floating ;  orbicular,  or  rounded.  Stems j  hollow  ;  long  and  round. 
Rootstock  :  thick ;  fleshy. 

The  white  water-lily  is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  aquatics. 
Over  the  calm  surface  of  the  ponds  it  moves  by  means  of  its 
long,  free  stems  as  gracefully  as  many  an  animal.  In  fact,  the 
habits  of  this  lovely  flower  are  not  unlike  those  of  the  snails 
and  beetles  with  which  it  dwells  in  its  watery  home.  One  of 
the  most  interesting  features  of  aquatic  life  is  the  way  that 
the  plants  care  for  themselves  during  the  cold  weather.  In 
summer,  the  lily  floats  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  so  as  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  aquatic  insects  on  which  it  relies 
for  fertilization.  Being  untrammelled  by  space,  it  spreads  its 
leaves  out  roundly  to  the  sunshine  and  drinks  in  abundantly  of 
life.  The  water  serves  well  to  float  the  leaves  instead  of  the 
stalks  that  are  necessary  to  aerial  foliage. 

When  the  air  is  chilly  with  forebodings  of  frost  and  ice,  the 
lily,  having  fulfilled  its  mission  of  reproducing  itself  and  storing 


PLATE  III.     YELLOW  POND-LILY.     Nymphcsa  advena. 
(25) 


26  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

up  vigour,  for  there  is  never  any  procrastination  about  the 
flowers,  sinks  to  the  bottom  of  the  pond  and  nestles  in  the  mud. 
The  warmer  water,  which  is  heavier  than  ice,  also  remains  at  the 
bottom.  This  considerate  arrangement  of  nature's  laws  makes 
it,  therefore,  possible  for  the  fair  lily  to  spend  the  winter  very 
comfortably  and  no  doubt  enjoying  itself  with  the  water 
nymphs  to  whom  it  has  been  dedicated. 

The  plant  also  illustrates  the  gradation  of  sepals  into  petals 
and  petals  into  stamens,  or  the  metamorphosis  of  the  flower. 
The  sepals  or  transformed  leaves  are  green  without  but  white 
within,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  know  with  any  amount  of  cer- 
tainty to  which  set  they  belong.  An  inner  row  of  petals  is 
found  to  be  tipped  with  a  suggestion  of  an  anther.  In  the  next 
row  the  anther  becomes  more  pronounced  and  the  petal 
assumes  more  the  shape  of  a  filament.  This  gradation  is  con- 
tinued until  a  perfect  stamen  is  developed.  At  least,  this  is  the 
manner  in  which  we  are  apt  to  regard  the  transformation. 
Many  writers,  however,  of  whom  Mr.  Grant  Allen  is  one,  con- 
sider that  the  gradation  is  in  the  reverse  order  and  that  petals 
are  transformed  stamens. 

At  the  close  of  day  the  lily  folds  up  its  petals,  gathers  its 
leaves  and  stems  together,  and  disappears  under  the  water. 
Not  a  trace  of  its  whereabouts  is  left  :  like  the  Arab  it  has 
silently  stolen  away.  Moore  alludes  to  this  fact  in  comparing 
the  lily  to  virgins  that  bathe  in  the  water  all  night  and  appear 
more  fresh  and  beautiful  in  the  morning. 

YELLOW  POND-LILY.     SPATTER  DOCK.     {Plate  III) 

Nytnphka  ddvena, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Water-lily.       Yellow^  centre  tinged       Unpleasant.         General.  May-August, 

tvith  crimson. 

/YfTw/^rj;  unattractive;  solitary.  Calyx:  of  six  to  eight  unequal  sepals  that 
vary  in  colour  from  yellow  to  green.  Corolla :  of  coarse,  fleshy  petals  that  are 
shorter  than  the  stamens.  Stamens:  numerous.  Pistil:  one,  the  stigma 
spreading  like  a  many-rayed  disk.  Leaves  :  rising  out  of  the  water  and  having 
a  deep  space  between  the  rounded  lobes. 

The  yellow  pond-lily  is  not  pretty,  and  we  have  no  especial 


"\ 


I 


A 


F 


Stamen.  Seed  Vessel. 

PLATE  IV.     YELLOW  NELUMBO.     Nelnmbo  lutea, 
(27) 


28  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

reason  to  believe  that  nature  has  compensated  it  by  bestowing 
the  virtue  of  goodness.  It  has  caused  disappointment  to  many 
a  young  seeker  that,  allured  from  afar  by  the  brightness  of  its 
colouring,  has  sighed  to  find  it  without  charm  or  fragrance  on 
a  nearer  acquaintance.  The  initiated  have  learned  to  bow 
politely  to  this  flower  and  to  pass  on  ;  leaving  it  to  the  insects 
to  be  entrapped  within  its  crimson  centre. 

It  is  almost  impossible  not  to  fancy  that  the  pure  white 
water-lily  exhales  a  sigh  at  the  uncultivated  preference  of  this 
member  of  its  family  for  stagnant  water.  In  England  their 
rather  suggestive  odour  has  caused  them  to  be  called  by  the 
country  people,  "  brandy  bottles." 

YELLOW  NELUMBO.     SACRED  BEAN.     WATER 

CHINQUEPIN.     (J^late  IV.) 

Nelumbo  liitea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Water-lily.         Vello-iu.         Scentless.       Middle  states^  ^vest  and  south.        Jiily^  August. 

Flowers:  one  to  five  inches  in  diameter;  growing  singly  on  long,  naked 
scapes.  Calyx  and  Corolla:  appear  like  those  of  the  white  water-lily. 
Stamens:  numerous.  Pistils:  numerous  and  hidden  in  a  concave  receptacle. 
Leaves :  twenty  inches  in  diameter  ;  growing  well  out  of  the  water,  or  floating ; 
peltate  ;  veined.     Rootstock :  thick  ;  tuberous. 

Of  all  the  family  the  nelumbo  has  the  most  interesting  and 
careful  manner  of  growing  its  fruit.  Evidently  it  has  de- 
termined upon  giving  the  seeds  every  advantage.  The  recep- 
tacle is  enlarged  into  a  flat,  top-shaped  body,  in  which  the 
pistils  are  systematically  sunken.  Here  the  ovaries  grow  into 
one-seeded  nuts  that  are  about  the  size  of  chinquepins.  They 
and  the  tubers  are  quite  edible. 

The  flowers  of  the  native  plant  are  always  pale  yellow. 
The  gorgeous,  showy  pink  and  white  variety  is  the  introduced 
plant  and  the  one  that  should  properly  be  called  sacred  bean. 

It  is  this  flower  that  the  old  Egyptians  dedicated  to  Osiris, 
the  god  of  life  and  light,  and  it  was  from  the  shape  of  its  seed 
vessels  that  they  originated  cornucopias.  The  seeds  were  sown 
by  enclosing  them  first  in  clay  and  then  throwing  them  in  the 


Head  of  Pistils.     Floating  Leaves. 

PLATE  V.     COMMON  WHITE  WATER  CROWFOOT. 

Batrachiiim  trichophyllum. 

YELLOW  WATER  CROWFOOT.     Rammculus  delphinifolius. 

{29) 


30  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

river.  Many  believe  from  this  custom  that  it  is  the  nelumbo 
that  is  alluded  to  in  Ecclesiastes  xi.  i  :  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon 
the  water  :  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

COMMON  WHITE  WATER  CROWFOOT.     {Plate  F.) 

Batrachiwn  trie  hop  hylliDU. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  White.  Scentless,  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers  :  small ;  terminal.  Calyx :  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  white, 
rounded  petals  that  turn  yellow  at  the  base.  Stajfiens :  numerous.  Pistils  : 
numerous,  arranged  in  a  head.  Styles :  short  and  broad.  Leaves  :  submerged  ; 
finely  dissected. 


YELLOW  WATER  CROWFOOT.     {Plate  V.) 

Ra n ihi cuius  delph in ifbliiis. 

The  yellow  water  crowfoot  is  very  similar  in  appearance  to 
the  white  one,  only  its  bright  petals  are  larger.  In  fact,  they 
closely  resemble  those  of  the  field  buttercup.  The  submerged 
leaves  are  cleft  into  hair-like  segments  ;  those  above  the  water 
are  reniform  and  parted  into  from  three  to  five  divisions. 

The  slow,  shallow  water  of  ponds  and  ditches  is  the  home  of 
these  pretty  plants.  At  the  approach  of  cold  weather  they 
sink  to  the  bottom  and  lie  dormant  until  the  warm  sun  of  May 
coaxes  them  to  raise  their  tender  blossoms  to  the  surface. 


WATER  HEMLOCK.     {Plate  VI) 

Cicuta  maculata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Parsley.  White.  Scentless.       Mostly  north,  west  and  south.         All  summer. 

Flowers:  minute  ;  numerous;  growing  in  loose,  compound  umbels.  Leaves: 
compound,  the  leaflets  deeply  toothed,  or  lobed  ;  veined.  Stem  :  three  to  eight 
feet  high  ;  hollow  ;  streaked  with  purple.     Roots :  highly  poisonous. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  so  many  common  names  have  been  be- 
stowed upon  this  unworthy  plant,  which  is  known  as  spotted 
cowbane,  beaver  poison,  musquash  root,  sneezeweed  and  child- 
ren's bane.    They  serve  rather  to  prevent  its  becoming  generally 


PLATE  VI.     WATEP^  HEMLOCK      Clcuia  viaciclata. 
(30 


32  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

recognised  as  the  deadly  water  hemlock.  Its  appearance  also 
is  such  that  it  is  frequently  mistaken  for  the  wild  carrot  and 
sweet  cicely.  The  stem,  which  is  streaked  with  purple,  not  spot- 
ted, as  its  name,  spotted  cowbane,  would  suggest,  should  be  re- 
membered as  a  means  of  identification. 

Of  all  the  members  of  the  parsley  family  it  is  the  most  poison- 
ous. An  aromatic,  oily  fluid  is  found  in  the  root  and  in  smaller 
quantities  in  the  leaves,  stems  and  seeds.  Its  chemical  nature 
is  not  exactly  known.  Every  year  a  large  number  of  human 
victims  falls  a  prey  to  this  plant,  for  which  there  is  no  known 
antidote.  Growing,  as  it  does,  in  shallow  water,  its  roots  are 
washed  and  exposed  to  view,  when  it  is  gathered  in  error  as 
horse-radish,  artichokes,  parsnips  and  other  edible  roots. 


WATER=PARSNIP. 

Slum  cicutcefblunn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Parsley.  White.  Scentless.         Mostly  north.^  west  and  south.        All  summer. 

Flowers :  small ;  numerous  ;  growing  in  umbels.  Leaves :  alternate  ;  pinnate  ; 
with  many  pairs  of  linear,  or  lanceolate  leaflets  that  are  sharply  serrate.  Roots: 
dwindled,  acrid  and  poisonous. 

This  wild  plant  is  commonly  found  in  shallow  water.  To 
know  it  is  to  avoid  it,  as  it  is  also  a  very  poisonous  member  of 
the  family. 


PICKEREL=WEED. 

Pontederia  cor  data. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pickerel-weed.  Purplish  blue.  Unpleasant.  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers :  irregular  ;  growing  in  a  dense  spike.  Perianth  :  labiate  ;  the  three 
upper  lobes  marked  with  a  greenish-yellow  spot ;  the  three  lower  ones  being  more 
spreading.  Stamens :  six  ;  the  three  lower  ones  in  the  throat,  the  three  upper 
ones  shorter  and  imperfect.  Pistil :  one..  Z<?a/;  one  only ;  borne  at  the  top  of 
the  stem;  lanceolate  to  arrow-shape.  Stem:  rising  one  to  two  feet  above  the 
water  ;  stout ;  erect. 

The  pickerel-weed,  we  may  fancy,  is  the  reckless,  dashing 
Kate  of  the  underground  garden.     Evidently  she  has  run  away 


■i 


PLATE  VII.     WATER. HYACINTH.     Piaropus  crassipes. 

COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


I 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

from    home    and    her   playmate,  the    oickerel   t.    .  , 
through  a  serene  lake  border  or  a  smon  1     ^  '         u    '  ""   ^^^ 
ent,ced  .nto  npholdmg  her^^^n'  heTr  IS^^'she  "'^ '^^ 
With  a  troop  of  her  comnanionc   oii  "^^^'^^^ess.     She    comes 

M.„,  .„  .r,„ed  J?,;  rr.,  «• ,?? "  r  -  -"*  ••  ■■"■ 

WATER  STAR  GRASS. 

Heteranthera  diibia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR 

Picke„l.^.ed.        Patey,ao„.        ScenUes..  M.l^La  TIME^OF  BLOOM 

^.ZlZZlT""  "^-^^-^ -"=^"' bright  flowers  as  they  come  to 
the  surface  of  some  stream,  we  are  reminded  of  a  little  waif 
that  has  strayed  far  from  home.  The  plant  is  one  har  s 
rather  uncommon.  '   '^ 

WATER-HYACINTH.      (^Plate  VII.) 

Piaropus  crdssipes. 

blue,  having' also  a  yel  ot  s  ot  in    he  "e      e    ''rh^f  ""f  °'T  """  '^''l"""'-'^ 

:?>St:f;e.trhi.s'-^£^^^^^^ 

the  water  is  shairo^^,  S|?;t"eflo'adng'^ ''"""''"  '°  ""  Sround  where 
Lining  the  shores  of  the  St.  Johns  River  and  many  of  the 
lakesand  sluggish  streams  in  Florida,  the  water-hyacinth  may  be 
seenm  masses  varying  from  fifty  to  several  hundred  feet  wide 


34  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

The  plant  is  a  native  of  Brazil,  and  it  is  thought  that  it  was  in 
about  1890  that  it  was  introduced  into  Florida.  It  had  been  for- 
merly cultivated  in  northern  greenhouses,  as  it  had  the  potent 
charm  of  beauty.  So  congenial  to  its  tastes  did  it  find  the  sunny 
shores  of  the  St.  Johns  River  and  the  yellowish  water  that 
abounds  in  humid  acid  and  organic  matter  that  it  soon  laid  aside 
all  the  customs  of  a  guest,  and  determined  upon  dabbling  in  the 
political  economy  and  affairs  of  the  country.  In  streams  where 
sulphur  or  other  distasteful  acids  are  prevalent  it  is  not  able  to 
survive. 

In  1896  the  War  Department  at  Washington  was  asked  to  ex- 
ert its  influence  with  this  unruly  plant,  which  was  becoming  a 
serious  menace  to  navigation.  It  has  also  destroyed  bridges, 
interfered  with  the  timber  industry,  and  affected  the  health  of 
the  region  by  upholding  objectionable  organic  matter.  Great 
floating  masses  of  the  water-hyacinth  are  moored  to  the  shore 
by  those  that  have  rooted  in  the  shallow  water.  But  at  times 
the  wind  tears  them  loose  and  then  large  blocks  of  it  go  float- 
ing about  with  the  current.  At  one  time  a  strong  wnnd  drove 
it  northward  until  it  closed  the  river  for  twenty-five  miles. 

The  plant  reproduces  itself  by  stolens  or  leafy  shoots  and  in 
such  numbers  that  its  increase  is  most  alarming.  The  problem 
of  controlling  the  water-hyacinth  is  very  interesting.  Mechani- 
cal means  entail  such  great  and  continuous  expense  that  it  is 
thought  a  natural  enemy  to  breed  disease  amongst  it  will  have 
to  be  introduced. 

COMMON  BLADDERWORT.     {Plate  VIIL) 
Utricularia  vulgaris. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Bladder-Mort,  Yellotv.  Scentless.  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers :  several  growing  on  each  scape.  Calyx :  labiate  or  two-lipped. 
Corolla:  labiate,  the  spur  shorter  than  the  lower  lip.  Stamens:  two,  with 
anthers  that  meet  in  the  throat.  Pistil :  one;  stigma  two-lipped.  Leaves:  un- 
der water,  many-parted,  bearing  rather  large  bladders.     Stem  :  immersed. 

This  aquatic  herb,  which  we  find  in  still,  slow  water,  is  hardly 
one  to  inspire  us  with  affection.     It  belongs  to    the  strange 


Pistil  and  Statnens, 

PLATE  VIII.     COMMON  BLADDERWORT.     Utricularia  vulgaris. 

(35) 


36  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

group  of  insectivorous  plants,  those  that  are  so  formed  as  to 
entrap  insects,  which  they  digest  and  assimilate  as  food.  In 
this  way,  by  taking  advantage  of  defenseless  members  of  the 
animal  world,  they  show  a  very  unprincipled  disregard  of  all 
plant  tradition.  But  aside  from  the  moral  consideration,  this 
little  plant  is  most  wonderful.  The  bladders  are  furnished  with 
small  hairs  or  bristles  which  keep  up  a  wavy  motion  and  create 
a  sort  of  current  that  sucks  the  unsuspicious  creature  within  its 
folds.  A  hinged  arrangement,  or  lid  then  closes  sharply  down 
upon  him,  and  the  bristles  make  it  their  business  to  see  that  he 
does  not  escape. 

But  from  our  childhood  we  are  taught  that  an  object  cannot 
sink  that  has  attached  to  it  a  bladder  filled  with  air.  We  there- 
fore ask,  how  does  the  bladderwort  reach  the  bottom  of  the 
pond  to  spend  the  winter  ?  Simply  because  the  little  plant  is 
clever.  It  takes  time  by  the  forelock,  ejects  the  air  from  its 
bladders,  and  calmly  allows  them  to  fill  with  water.  They  then 
bear  it  below,  where  it  remains  while  its  seeds  are  ripening, 
and  until  it  feels  the  spring  sunshine  thrilling  it  with  a  desire 
to  rise  again  and  to  bloom.  The  bladders  then,  with  small  cer- 
emony, throw  out  the  no  longer  useful  water  ;  the  plant  rises, 
and  they  fill  again  with  air  which  floats  it  during  the  summer. 


ARROW=HEAD.     {Plate  IX) 
Sagittaria  latifblia, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Water-plantain.  White.  Scentless.  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  whorls  of  three  on  a  leafless  scape.  Calyx  :  open  ;  of 
three  sepals  that  fall  early.  Corolla  :  open  ;  of  three  rounded  petals.  Stamens: 
very  numerous,  on  the  receptacle.  Pistils :  distinct ;  very  numerous.  The 
flowers  are  imperfect :  the  pistillate  ones  being  those  of  the  lower  whorls  and 
the  staminate  ones  those  of  the  upper  whorls.  Leaves :  sagittate  ;  nerved. 
Scape  :  varying  greatly  in  height. 

The  demure  arrow-heads  are  surely  the  Quakers  of  the 
flower  world  ;  and  that  they  do  not  condone  frivolity,  we  may 
gather  from  the  way  in  which  they   keep  their  pistillate  and 


PLATE  IX.     ARROW-HEAD.     Sagittaria  latifolia. 


38  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER. 

staminate  members  apart.  The  pistillate  ones  also  deck  them- 
selves in  very  seemly  little  petals  that  fall  early  and  do  not  vie 
in  comeliness  with  those  of  the  staminate  blossoms.  It  hardly 
seems  possible  that  one  of  these  little  under-flowers  would  ever 
have  the  courage  to  call  out  boldly  :  Joseph,  thou  art  keeping 
the  sunshine  from  falling  upon  my  head. 

S.  lancifblia  is  the  arrow-head  that  grows  southward  from 
Virginia.  Its  lower  whorls  of  flowers  are  better  developed 
than  those  of  its  northern  sisters,  and  the  plant  is,  therefore, 
more  showy  and  beautiful. 

WATER.PLANTAIN.     {Plate  X.) 

Alisma  Plantago-aqudtica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Water-plantain,  Rose  white.  Scentless.  General.  Late  summer. 

Flowers:  small;  numerous;  whorled  in  compound  panicles.  Calyx:  of 
three  persistent  sepals.  Corolla:  of  three  deciduous  or  falling  petals.  Sla- 
mens :  four  to  six.  Pistils :  numerous.  Leaves  :  from  the  base  ;  on  long 
petioles  ;  rather  lanceolate  ;  ribbed  ;  closely  resembling  those  of  the  door-yard 
plantain.     ScaJ>e  :  varying  greatly  in  height. 

One  would  at  once  discover  the  kinship  between  the  water 
plaintain  and  the  arrow-head,  although  the  latter  is  a  much  more 
pleasing  flower.  But,  if  plain,  our  little  plant  is  generous.  It 
distributes  itself  very  widely,  and  its  corm-like  tubers  are  said 
to  be  greatly  enjoyed  as  an  article  of  food  by  the  Kalmucks. 

AMPHIBIOUS  KNOTWEED.     (P/afe  XL) 

Polyg07imn  amphibium. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Buckwheat.  Rose.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  July.,  August. 

Flowers:  rather  showy  ;  massed  in  a  dense  spike.  Calyx :  of  five  petal-like, 
parted  sepals.  Corolla:  none.  Staine7ts :  ^vq,  exserted.  Pistil:  one;  style, 
two-cleft.  Leaves:  on  long  petioles;  cordate;  oblong;  floating.  Stem:  s\x\y 
merged,  rooting  in  the  mud.     Rootstock :  corm-like. 

This  little  aquatic  sometimes  strays  from  its  home,  and  is 
found  flourishing  upon  the  land.  But  we  may  imagine  that  it 
is  always  glad  to  return  and  add  its  delicate  grace  to  brighten 
the  slow-running  streams. 


Seed.  Enlarged  flower. 

PLATE  X.     WATER-PLANTAIN.     A  lis  ma  Planiago-aquatica. 
(39) 


Single  flower.  Pistil. 

PLATE  XI.     AMPHIBIOUS  KNOTWEED.     Polygonum  amphibmm 

(40) 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WATER.  41 

FLOATING=HEART.     {Plate  XII.) 
Limndntheniiiui  laai)ibsum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Buckbeati.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Maine  to  Florida.  July.,  August. 

Flowers:  growing  in  an  umbel  near  the  top  of  the  stalk  from  under  the 
leaves.  Calyx:  five-parted.  Corolla:  wheel-shaped,  the  border  in  divisions 
of  five,  fringed  and  incurved  at  the  edges.  Staviciis:  five.  Pistil:  one. 
Frtnt :  a  capsule  with  numerous  seeds.  Leaves:  growing  on  slender,  long, 
twining  petioles  ;  ovate-orbicular ;  purplish  beneath. 

The  floating-heart  has  never  inspired  the  poets  with  any  of 

the  ardour  that  they  have  felt  for   members  of  the  gentian 

family  to  which  it  is  related  ;  and  yet  it  would  seem  as  though 

its  name  alone  should  awaken  some  drowsy  muse.     It  is  true 

that  the  flower  is  far  from  being  such  a  raving  beauty  as  the 

fringed  gentian  ;  but  it  is  very  interesting.     Its  parts  alternate 

in  a  systematic  way  that  shows  it  understands  good  government. 

The  petals  alternate  with  the  sepals  and  the  stamens  w^ith  the 

petals,    while   alternating   with    the    stamens   are   five  glands. 

These  glands,  it   is  supposed,  were  originally  another  set  of 

stamens  that  have  been  absorbed  at  an  early  stage  by  the  petals. 

The  root-like  tubers  that  start  out  near  the  flowers  at  the  end 

of  the  petiole,  show  a  form  of  reproduction  similar  to  that  of 

the  strawberry  with  its  leafy  shoots    at    the    end  of   runners. 

At  the  approach  of  cold  weather  they  detach  themselves  from 

the  main  plant  and  sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  pond,  where  they 

root   in    the    mud.     AVith    the  return  of  spring  they  are  thus 

ready  to  send  above  vigourous,  renewed  stock. 

AMERICAN  BROOKLIME. 

Verdnica  Americana. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figzvort.  Blue.  Scetitless.  Mostly  north  and  west.         April-Septeviber. 

Flowers :  growing  loosely  in  axillary,  slender  racemes.  Corolla  :  wheel- 
shaped,  of  four  lobes.  Calyx:  four-parted.  Stamens:  two.  Pistil:  one. 
Leaves  :  on  petioles  ;  opposite  ;  oblong  or  lanceolate  ;  serrated.  Stem  :  smooth; 
slightly  curving  and  branched. 

It  is  mostly  in  brooks  and  w^atery  ditches  that  we  find  this 
dear  little  plant.  Children  often  mistake  it  for  the  wild  forget- 
me-not  and  are  invariably  disappointed  when  they  learn  that  it 
bears  no  more  tender  name  than  American  brooklime. 


Tubers. 

PLATE  XI 1.     FLOATING-HEART.     Lim7ianthemnm  lacunosum, 

(42) 


Plants    Growing    In    Mud:    Bogs, 
Swamps  and  Marshes. 


Over  m  the  sivamps  life  is  gay  and  free ;  for  why  sJiould 
they  be  dull  when  they  may  be  merry,  or  why  should  they 
throw  out  sparingly  their  bloom  when  their  soil  tells  them  to 
se?id  it  out  abundantly  ?  In  its  time  and  place  each  lovely 
flower  u7ifolds  ;  the  turtle  travels  slowly  back  from  the  nearest 
pond;  the  blackbirds  pipe  arid  the  oriole  matches  the  tint  of 
his  wing  with  the  petals  of  the  marigold.  Grave  willozvs 
have  a  fatherly  care  of  the  sweet  community,  and,  although 
King  Carnival  pass  up  and  dozvn,  disorder  never  reigns. 

SKUNK  CABBAGE. 

Spathyema  fdtida. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Arutn.        Madder, purple.        Disagreeable.     Mostly  north,  sparingly  February' 

yellotv  and  green.  west  and  south.  April. 

Flowers:  inconspicuous;  perfect;  arranged  upon  an  oval  fleshy  spadix 
that  is  enveloped  by  a  spathe.  Spathe  :  shell-shaped,  veined  with  purple. 
Fruit:  curious  looking;  the  seeds  form  under  the  epidermis  of  the  spadix,  and 
drop  later  into  the  ground,  like  little  bulbs.  Leaves  :  one  to  three  feet  long  ; 
ovate ;  veined  ;  appearing  later  than  the  flowers,  from  a  short  rootstock. 

*'  Foremost  to  deck  the  sun-warmed  sod, 
The  Arum  shows  his  speckled  coil." 

Dame  Nature  has  truly  a  warm  heart,  and  when  she  deprives 
us  of  one  thing  she  usually  bestows  another.  In  her  scheme  of 
wisdom  she  certainly  saw  fit  to  deprive  the  skunk  cabbage  of 
fragrance  ;  and  to  such  an  extent  that  it  has  been  doomed  to 
bear  a  rather  unpoetical  name.  But  it  is  a  brave,  powerful 
plant,  which  pushes  itself  forward  without  fear  of  rebuff  from 
the  frosts  of  February,  or  the  biting  March  winds.     Grim  win- 


44  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

ter  has  but  to  relax  his  hold  of  the  season  for  a  single  day,  or 
two,  and  the  first  folded  buds  of  the  skunk  cabbage  are  among 
us  ;  gladdening  those  that  are  weary  of  seeing  the  earth  dried 
and  pale,  by  announcing  the  nearness  of  spring.  They  are 
impetuous  and  sometimes  hardly  wait  long  enough  to  give 
their  cheery  message,  as  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  that  they 
have  been  caught  by  Jack  Frost.  As  soon  as  a  thaw  then  sets 
in  they  quickly  turn  black  and  decay. 

It  is  still  a  mooted  question  whether  or  not  this  plant  is  self- 
fertilized.  The  arums  are  thought  to  be  cross-fertilized  by  the 
wind  ;  as  their  pollen  is  dry  and  powdery,  and  their  spathes 
are  not  so  highly  coloured  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  in- 
sects. But  the  spathe  of  this  plant  has  colour  ;  and  is  so 
enwrapped  about  the  flowers  as  to  protect  them  from  the  wind. 
The  pistil  also  matures  long  before  the  stamens.  These  facts 
would  favour  the  theory  of  its  being  visited  by  insects.  On 
the  other  hand,  we  have  to  remember  that  many  insects  have 
not  the  indomitable  courage  of  the  skunk  cabbage,  and  do  not 
venture  out  at  so  early  a  season  of  the  year.  Carrion-loving 
flies,  it  is  true,  abound  the  first  warm  days  of  spring  ;  so  per- 
haps they,  attracted  by  its  odour,  are  the  plant's  secret  am- 
bassadors. 

Children — and  at  an  early  age  it  may  be  that  the  nostrils  are 
not  fully  developed — are  particularly  fond  of  searching  for  this 
plant  and  kicking  it  over,  when  its  odour  becomes  much  more 
intensified. 

AMERICAN  CRINUn.     {Plate  XIII.) 
Crinu?n  Americamnn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Amaryllis.  White.  Very  fragrant.         Florida  and  westward.         May-September. 

Flaivers :  two  to  four,  growing  umbel-like  at  the  top  of  a  thick  scape. 
Perianth  :  of  six-pointed,  narrow,  recurved  divisions  with  linear  bractlets  at 
the  base  of  each.  Stamens:  six,  with  long,  purple  filaments  ;  anthers  attached 
at  the  middle;  pinkish.  Leaves:  very  long,  narrow,  pointed.  Scape:  one  to 
two  feet  high.     Bulb:  globular. 

When  we  sit  down  beside  this  giant  flower  and  overlook 
some  river  swamp,  we  think  our  best  thoughts,  the  earth  seems 


PLATE  XIII.     AMERICAN   CRINUM.      Cri^nnu  .Imc;  u 


COPYRIGHT,    1899     BV   FREDERICK   A     STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMcRlCA. 


Diagram  of  flower. 

PLATE  XIV.    SWAMP  PINK.    Helonias  bullaia. 
(45) 


46  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

wonderfully  fair.  It  is  so  noble  and  dignified  in  its  bearing 
that  we  would  not  venture  to  pick  it  ;  so  we  wander  away,  and 
the  place  where  it  grew  forms  a  lasting  picture  in  our  memory. 
It  is  the  only  one  of  its  genus  that  has  chosen  to  grow  wild 
in  the  Southern  part  of  the  United  States,  instead  of  tropical 
regions. 

SWAMP  PINK.     {Plate  XIV.) 

Helbnias  bullata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Bunch-Jlozver.  Purple.  Scentless.  New  York,  southward  April.,  May. 

to  Virginia. 

Flowers :  growing  in  a  terminal,  blunt  raceme.  Perianth :  divided  into  six 
spreading,  spatulate  segments.  Stamens :  six.  FistiV :  one ;  with  a  three- 
branched  stigma.  Leaves:  growing  in  a  cluster  at  the  base  of  the  scape; 
long,  tapering  at  the  base ;  evergreen  ;  parallel- veined.  Scape :  stout,  with 
bracts  below.     Rootstock :  tuberous. 

A  compact,  vigourous  plant  that  has  a  fondness  for  the  state 
of  New  Jersey.  In  fact,  it  is  there  so  great  a  feature  of  swamp 
and  bog  life  that  we  find  ourselves  continually  wondering  if  it 
is  not  in  some  way  connected  with  the  political  economy  of 
these  places. 

INDIAN  POKE.      FALSE  HELLEBORE.      PUPPET-ROOT. 

Veratriim  viride. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Bunch-flower.        Greenish  yelloiv,  becotning  Scetttless.      Mostly  east,         May-July, 
more  green  as  the  flowers  south  and  west, 

groiv  older. 

Flowers :  growing  in  racemes  along  the  branches.  Perianth  :  of  six  oblong 
divisions.  Stafnens :  six.  Pistil:  one,  with  a  three-branched  style.  Leaves: 
clasping  ;  broadly  ovate  ;  pointed  ;  parallel-veined.  Stem  :  two  to  seven  feet 
high  ;  stout ;  leafy. 

Our  attention  is  hardly  held  by  the  flowers  of  the  false 
hellebore  after  we  have  learned  to  identify  them  ;  as  they  are 
particularly  lacking  in  beauty.  It  is  to  the  leaves  that  we  feel 
grateful  for  pushing  through  the  earth  at  so  early  a  season  of 
the  year  and  enlivening  the  swamps  with  foliage.  They  also 
appear  along  brooks  and  mountain  streams,  and  are  on  very 
friendly  terms  with  the  skunk  cabbage.     As  the  plant's  generic 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  47 

name  indicates,  it  is  poisonous.  Chickens  especially  have  fallen 
victims  to  eating  its  seeds,  and  the  fatal  mistake  has  been  made 
by  individuals  of  using  the  young  leaves  for  those  of  the  marsh 
marigold,  in  which  case  death  has  been  the  result. 

PITCHER=PLANT.     HUNTSMAN'S=CUP.       SIDESADDLE= 

FLOWER.     {Plate  X  V) 

Sarrachiia  purpurea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pitcher-J>luni.     Crimson,  green,  or /ink.       Fragrant.       Mostly  north  June. 

and  east. 

Flowers :  x\o^^\\\g\  solitary  ;  growing  on  a  naked  scape  about  one  foot  high. 
Calyx :  of  live  large,  coloured  sepals  having  three  bractlets  underneath.  Co- 
rolla :  of  five  incurved  petals  that  close  over  the  umbrella-like  top  of  the  style. 
Stame?is  :  numerous.  Pistil :  o\\^  ;  branching  at  five  angles  like  an  umbrella, 
and  five  hooked  stigmas.  Leaves :  the  shape  of  pitchers,  open,  with  an  erect 
hood,  and  side  wings,  the  margins  folded  together;  conspicuously  veined  with 
purple. 

It  is  only  because  we  are  ill-informed  about  plant-life  that  it 
ever  surprises  us  ;  and  to  have  passed  beyond  the  brink  of  won- 
der at  the  actions  of  the  pitcher-plant,  argues  a  good  amount 
of  knowledge.  It  is  one  of  the  most  stragetic  of  the  insectivo- 
rous plants.  The  leaves  have  their  margins  united  together,  so 
as  to  form  quaint  little  pitchers,  closed  at  the  bottom  and  open 
at  the  top.  They  are  lined  with  a  sticky,  sugary  substance 
that  entices  small  insects  to  explore  to  their  depths.  Here  the 
pitchers,  with  an  absolute  disregard  of  all  Christian  charity, 
have  arranged  innumerable  little  bristles,  pointed  downwards  ; 
and  once  entrapped  the  poor  victim  can  escape  in  neither  di- 
rection. The  rain  is  also  held  by  them,  and  serves  to  drown 
any  mite  that  is  unusually  tenacious  of  life.  We  generally  find 
them  partly  filled  with  water  and  drowned  insects,  which  afford 
the  plants  an  extra  amount  of  nourishment.  These  leaves  often 
remain  a  curious  feature  of  swamp  life  until  Jack  Frost  covers 
them  with  his  white  overcoat  ;  but  in  the  exquisite  spring  bloom 
is  when  the  plants  are  most  ravishing  in  their  beauty.  From  a 
distance  they  appear  like  the  mystic  blending  of  colours  in  a 
Persian  rug. 


48  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

Children  have  a  passion  for  the  pitchers  and  sometimes  play 
with  them,  using  them  as  drinking  cups.  This  is  a  most  im- 
prudent thing  to  do,  as  it  is  impossible  to  know  with  any 
amount  of  certainty  that  they  are  ever  free  from  insects. 

MARSH  MARIGOLD.     {Plate  XFI.) 
C alt  ha  palustris. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  Bright  yellow.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  Aprils  May. 

Flowers :  growing  in  clusters  on  long  petioles.  Calyx  :  usually  of  five,  but 
sometimes  as  many  as  nine,  showy,  petal-like  sepals.  Corolla  :  none.  Stamens  : 
numerous.  Pistils  :  five  to  fourteen.  Leaves  :  reniform ;  rounded ;  the  upper 
ones  nearly  sessile  ;  the  lower  ones  on  long  petioles.  Stetn  :  erect ;  branching 
at  the  top  ;  hollowed  ;  furrowed.     Rootstock  :  thick. 

Unlike  the  majority  of  early  wild  flowers  that  prefer  the 
shelter  of  the  woods  to  test  the  season's  temper,  the  marsh 
marigold  boldly  opens  the  spring  in  the  marshes.  It  is  well 
equipped  for  its  mission,  being  clothed  in  the  brightest  of  yel- 
low, which  is  shown  to  advantage  by  its  background  of  dark 
green  leaves.  The  plant  does  not  harrow  itself  with  any  in- 
tense feelings  of  patriotism.  It  is  equally  fond  of  the  old  and 
new  worlds,  and  has  a  rare  adaptability  for  accommodating  it- 
self to  circumstances.  It  is  Shakespeare's  Mary-bud.  In  this 
country  it  is  sometimes  improperly  called  cowslip,  which  name 
belongs  to  a  European  species  of  primrose. 

The  leaves  and  young  shoots  are  excellent  when  served  as 
greens,  and  find  especial  favour  among  the  country  people  in 
England. 

WATER=PLANTAIN  SPEARWORT. 

/^an unculns  obtushisculus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.     Golden  yellow.     Scentless.     North,  sparingly  south  and  west.    June-August. 

Flowers:  growing  singly,  or  clustered  in  panicles.  Calyx:  of  five  small  sepals. 
Corolla:  of  five,  seven,  or  more  oblong  petals.  Stame7is:  indefinite  in  number. 
Pistils  :  numerous,  forming  a  head.  Leaves:  lanceolate  ;  the  upper  ones  clasp- 
ing, the  lower  ones  on  petioles.    Stem:  one  to  three  feet  high  ;  hollow  ;  glabrous. 

A  slender  plant  whose  bright,  cheery  face  shows  its  close  kin- 
ship to  the  buttercup.     It  is  one  of  the  gay  blossoms  of  the 


Stamens  and  Pistils 

PLATE  XVI      MARSH  MARIGOLD.     Caltha  palustris. 
(49) 


5° 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 


swamps,  and  keeps  the  carnival  of  colour  from  waning  after 
the  marigold  has  passed  away. 

GOLD  THREAD.     {Plate  XVII,) 
Copt  is  trifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR         ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOI 

Crowfoot.  White.  Scentless.        North.,  sparingly  zvest  and  south.  May. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary.  Catyx :  of  five  to  seven  sepals  that  fall  early. 
Corolla  :  of  five  to  seven  cup-shaped  pointed  petals,  hollow  at  the  apex.  Sta- 
mens:  numerous.  Pistils:  three  to  ten.  Leaves:  from  the  base;  thrice  di- 
vided  into  fan-shaped  leaflets  ;  evergreen.     Roots:  long  ;  bright  yellow  ;  fibrous. 

This  fragile,  sprightly  little  flower,  with  its  wide-awake  ex- 
pression, withers  away  from  us  early  in  the  season.  Its  pretty 
leaves  nestle  cosily  among  the  bog  marshes  and  remain  green 
all  winter.  The  curious,  twining  roots  remind  one  of  a  bunch 
of  copper  wire  that  has  been  much  tangled.  New  England 
country  people  boast  greatly  of  their  efficacy  when  stewed 
down   for  a  spring  tonic. 


CHOKEBERRY. 

Arbnia  arbutifblia. 

FAMILY 
Rose. 

COLOUR 

White. 

ODOUR                                RANGE 
Scentless.            Mostly  along  the  coast. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 
May.,  June. 

Flowers:  small,  clustered.  Calyx:  of  five,  cleft  sepals.  Corolla:  of  five, 
rosaceous  petals.  Stamens:  numerous.  Pistil:  one,  with  usually  five  styles. 
Fruit:  a  small,  dark  red,  or  purple,  astringent  berry.  Leaves:  alternate; 
oblong  ;  serrated  ;   hairy  underneath. 

In  the  late  summer,  when  the  fruit  of  this  little  shrub  ripens, 
it  causes  a  clinging  grudge  to  take  deep  root  in  many  a  childish 
mind.  It  appears  as  though  it  might  be  so  very  good,  and 
when  tasted  is  so  very  bad. 

SWAMP  ROSE.     {Plate  XVIII) 
Rosa  Carolina. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.        Soft,  crimson  pink.         Slightly  fragrant.  General.  June-August. 

Flowers  :  large  ;  rarely  solitary.  Calyx  :  of  five  cleft  sepals  that  terminate  in 
a  tube.  Corolla  :  of  five  petals,  sometimes  found  with  more  ;  in  this  respect 
the  species  is  variable.     Sta77iens  :  numerous.     Pistils :  numerous.     Leaves  : 


PLATE  XVII.     GOLDTHREAD.     Coptis  trifoHa, 
(51) 


52  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

odd-pinnate  ;  of    three  to    nine  serrated   leaflets,   unequal   in   size  ;  pale  un- 
derneath.    Stem  :  erect  ;  smooth,  with  recurved  prickles  ;  reddish. 

"  If  Jove  would  give  the  fragrant  bowers 
A  queen  for  all  their  world  of  flowers, 
A  rose  would  be  the  choice  of  Jove 
And  blush  the  queen  of  every  grove.''— Moore. 

Pliny  tells  us  that  the  many  species  of  wild  roses  may  be 
distinguished  from  each  other  by  their  colour,  scent,  roughness, 
smoothness,  and  the  greater  or  smaller  number  of  their  floral 
leaves.  The  swamp  rose,  however,  is  one  that  is  most  readily 
recognised.  It  has  a  somewhat  ragged  appearance  owing  to 
its  often  unequal  number  of  petals  ;  and  it  grows  in  great 
masses  in  the  swamps.  With  the  approach  of  autumn  it 
changes  the  character  of,  rather  than  loses,  its  beauty.  The 
leaves  become  a  brilliant  orange-red  and  the  bushes  glow 
with  the  graceful  crimson  fruit. 

To  walk  by  a  swamp  spread  with  these  roses,  makes  us  reflect 
longingly  on  the  days  of  the  ancients  ;  when  the  warriors,  dur- 
ing their  repasts,  sat  crowned  with  them  and  when,  as  Pliny 
tells  us,  their  choice  meats  were  covered  with  the  petals,  or 
sprinkled  with  their  fragrant  oil.  The  descriptions  of  the  roses 
at  the  feast  that  Cleopatra  gave  to  Antony  make  us  cease  to 
wonder  that  Venus  herself  has  a  rival  in  the  rose. 

WATER  AVENS.     PURPLE  AVENS. 

Geiim  rivale. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  Purple.  Scentless.  North  and  west.  May-July. 

Flozuers :  large  ;  nodding  ;  terminal ;  growing  sparingly  on  the  flower  stems. 
Calyx :  top-shaped,  with  five  spreading  lobes.  Corolla  :  of  five  obcordate 
petals.  Stamens  and  Pistils  :  numerous.  Styles  :  long ;  curved.  ^  Fruit :  a 
head  of  dry  akenes.  Leaves  :  pinnately-parted,  the  upper  ones  having  usually 
three  lobes.     Stem  :  simple. 

This  is  a  pretty  flower  of  the  swamps  and  low  grounds.  Its 
purple  colour  is  of  a  peculiar  shade  ;  as  though  it  had  been 
mixed  on  a  palette  from  which  the  chrome  yellow  had  not  been 
scraped. 


I 


f«* 


'■  ^^♦A 


^  \'; 


PLATE  XVIII.     SWAMP  ROSE.     Rosa  Car olma. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  53 

G.  strictmn^ox  yellow  avens,  has  flowers  that  grow  in  panicles. 
They  are  innocent  enough  looking  ;  but  it  is  from  their  pistils 
that  the  prickles  come  out  in  the  late  season  to  test  the  temper 
of  those  wandering  in  their  vicinity. 


POISON  SUMAC.     POISON  ELDER. 

Rhus  Veriiix. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Sumac.       Dull  greenish  white.       Sulphurous.       Florida  northward.  June. 

Flowers:  axillary;  many  imperfect;  growing  in  loose  panicles.  Leaves: 
pinnately  divided  into  seven  to  thirteen  oblong  leaflets  that  grow  on  red  leaflet- 
stalks.  A  shrub,  often  approaching  twenty  feet  high  ;  of  soft  yellow-brown 
wood.    Juice:  resinous.     Fruit:  smooth  ;   [whitish.) 

The  Rhus  vernix  is  a  native  species  and  one  of  the  most 
poisonous  of  our  country.  Fortunately  there  are  many  who 
are  immune  to  its  evil  effects  ;  but  to  those  who  are  susceptible 
to  such  influences,  even  passing  by  the  shrub  is  fraught  with 
danger.  Its  beauty,  when  it  is  in  the  pride  of  its  autumn  fo- 
liage, acts  as  a  snare  to  conceal  its  true  nature.  It  is  often 
gathered  and  carried  home,  being  held  close  to  the  face.  In- 
sanity has  been  known  to  be  an  outcome  of  such  recklessness. 
It  takes  particular  hold  upon  the  system  when  the  pores  of  the 
skin  are  open,  as  in  perspiration.  All  should  study  carefully 
its  manner  of  growth,  that  when  we  go  to  the  swamps  we  shall 
not  mistake  it  for  the  harmless  sumach  that  grows  by  the  way- 
sides, in  dry  soil. 


AMERICAN  JACOB'S  LADDER. 

Polei7ibnium  Va?t  BruniicE. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Phlox.  Bluish  purple.         Scentless.         Ver7tiont  to  Maryland.  I\Iay-July. 

Flowers  :  loosely  clustered  in  panicles.  Calyx  :  five-lobed.  Corolla  :  with 
five  rounded  lobes,  Slamens:  five,  exserted.  Fislil :  one.  Lea^els :  opposite  ; 
ovate ;  almost  sessile.  Stem:  erect ;  leafy  to  the  top  ;  glabrous.  Rootstock  :  thick. 

Prof.  Britton,  by  whom  this  species  was  named,  tells  us  that 
"it  differs  from  the  Old  World   Polemonium  coeruleum  in  its 


PLATE  XIX.     LIZARD'S  TAIL.     Saururus  cernuus. 
(54) 


V 


PLATE   XXI,     Vv'HiTE   SWAMP   HONEYSUl  k 


/  ^('Jt'd   Z'isc'i 


COPYRIGHT,    1399,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GPvOWING  IN  MUD.  55 

stout  rootstock,  more  leafy  stem,  exserted  stamens,  and  rounded 
corolla  lobes."  It  is  a  pretty  feature  of  the  swamps  and  is  also 
found  along  slow  streams. 

LIZARD'S  TAIL.     {Plate  XIX.) 

Sauriirus  cerniius. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

I't'PPer. 

White. 

Fragrant. 

Connecticut,  south-ward 
along  the  eastern  coast. 

June-August. 

Flowers :  crowded  in  a  tail-like,  curving  spike.  Stamens:  six  to  seven. 
Pistils:  three,  or  four,  united  at  the  base.  Leaves  :  alternate;  ua  petioles;  cor- 
date.    Stem  :  square  ;  jointed. 

The  lizard's  tail  bears  a  strange,  incomplete  flower.  It  is  said 
to  be  naked  because  it  has  dispensed  with,  or  never  possessed, 
either  calyx  or  corolla.  The  delicate  organs  of  the  flower, 
therefore,  are  without  any  proper  envelope  to  afford  them  pro- 
tection. We  are  mostly  attracted  to  the  plant  by  its  fragrance, 
which  is  its  chief  charm,  though  when  growing  in  masses  it 
beautifies  our  swamps  in  midsummer. 

WILD  HONEYSUCKLE.     PINXTER  FLOWER.     PINK 
AZALEA.     {Plate  XX,  Frontispiece) 
Azalea  nudifibra. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

II  filth.     Rose,  or  pinkish  red.     Faintly  fragrant.     Maine,  southward  May. 

along  the  coast. 

Flowers:  clustered;  developed  with,  or  slightly  before,  the  leaves.  Calyx: 
of  five  small  teeth.  Corolla:  funnel-form,  with  five  recurved  lobes.  Stamens: 
five  ;  exserted.  Pistil  :  one,  protruding  with  a  black  stigma.  Leaves:  ellipti- 
cal ;  entire  ;  in   terminal  groups.     A  shrub  three  to  six  feet  high;  branching, 

leafy. 

WHITE   SWAMP   HONEYSUCKLE.     CLAMMY    AZALEA. 

{Plate  XXI.) 
Azalea  viscbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.     White,  tinged  with  pink.     Very  fragrant.     Maine,  southward     June,  July. 

along  the  coast. 

Flowers  :  clustered ;  coming  into  blossom  after  the  leaves.  Calyx  :  of  five 
small  lobes.     Corolla:  tubular,  clammy  and  hairy;  with  five  recurved,  deeply 


56  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

cleft  lobes.  Stamens:  five;  exserted;  the  anthers  highly  coloured.  Pistil: 
one  ;  protruding.  Leaves  :  oblong  ;  in  terminal  groups.  A  shrub  three  to  ten 
feet  high. 

Little  can  be  imagined  in  plant-life  which  is  more  truly 
beautiful  than  the  azaleas  in  the  fullness  of  their  bloom.  The 
varieties  here  given  resemble  each  other  very  closely;  and  fol- 
low in  continuous  succession,  so  that  the  swamps  and  some- 
times the  moist  woods  are  radiant  with  their  variable  colours 
until  well  on  in  the  season.  It  would  seem  as  though  the 
warmer  atmosphere  of  summer  coaxed  out  a  stronger  fragrance 
than  the  cool  air  of  spring  ;  as  the  A.  viscosa  lades  the  air 
for  a  great  distance  with  its  luscious,  honey  scent.  On  both 
species  may  be  found  those  modified  buds  that  are  so  dear  to 
the  heart  of  childhood  and  which  are  called  May-apples.  The 
plants  are  especially  desirable  for  cultivation  and  we  are  famil- 
iar with  seeing  them  come  into  bloom  early  in  the  year. 
The  characteristics  of  each  plant  can  be  readily  seen  from  the 
illustrations. 

CREEPING  SNOWBERRY. 

Chidge7ies  hispidula. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  White.  Fragrant.  Mostly  north.  May. 

Flowers  :  small ;  nodding  ;  axillary.  Calyx  :  of  four  sepals  with  two  large 
bractlets  underneath.  Stamens  :  eight.  Fistil :  one.  Fruit :  a  small,  globular, 
white  berry.  Leaves :  ovate  and,  like  the  bractlets,  bristly  underneath  ;  ever- 
green.    Stem  :  delicate  and  trailing. 

It  may  be  regarded  as  a  matter  of  good  fortune  if  we  find  this 
delicate  little  creeper  spreading  its  carpet  of  snow-white  berries, 
in  the  peat  bogs.  We  then  sit  down  and  enjoy  to  the  full  its 
invigourating  breath  of  spicy  aroma  ;  and  nibble  at  the  leaves, 
which  are  uninjurious  and  have  the  same  pleasant  taste  as 
sweet  birch  and  wintergreen.  It  is  abundant  in  the  Adiron- 
dacks  and  at  times  we  find  it  straying  to  visit  such  cool,  damp 
woods  as  the  AUeghanies. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  57 


AMERICAN  CRANBERRY.     {Plate  XXII.) 
Oxy  coccus  macro  corpus. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath. 

Pale  rose. 

Scentless. 

North  Carolina^  northrvard. 

June. 

Flowers :  terminal  ;  nodding  on  long  pedicels  that  are  sometimes  axillary. 
Calyx  :  of  four  short  teeth.  Corolla  :  of  four  deeply  parted  petals.  Stamens  : 
eight  to  ten;  protruding.  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  bright  scarlet,  acid,  four- 
celled  berry.  Leaves  :  oblong ;  entire  ;  evergreen  ;  the  margins  turned  back. 
Stem  :  prostrate  ;  trailing. 

So  dainty  and  pretty  is  the  little  pink  blossom  of  this  plant 
that  it  invariably  gives  pleasure  to  those  that  find  it  in  the  peat 
bogs  and  marshy  lands.  Its  mission  in  life,  however,  is  to  be 
the  forerunner  of  the  bright  berry  which  is  too  well-known  in 
connection  with  Thanksgiving  turkey  to  need  any  description. 
The  name  cranberry  is  said  by  some  authorities  to  have  been 
chosen  for  the  plant  because  the  berries  are  the  favourite  food 
of  the  cranes,  when  they  return  in  the  spring  to  the  shores  of 
Holland.  Others  think  it  is  owing  to  the  curves  of  the 
branches,  which  are  like  the  crooked  neck  of  a  crane. 

MARSH    ANDROMEDA.       WILD    ROSEflARY.      MARSH 
HOLY  ROSE. 

Andromeda  polifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.       White^  or  pink  tinged  with  red.     Fragrant.     Mostly  north.  May  ^  June. 

Flozvers  :  growing  in  umbel-like,  drooping  clusters.  Calvx  :  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla  :  of  five  petals.  Stamejis  :  ten.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  lanceolate  : 
glaucous ;  whitish  beneath ;  evergreen.  A  low  shrub,  rarely  taller  than 
eighteen  inches. 

This  beautiful  shrub  is  the  namesake  of  the  fair  daughter  of 
the  Ethiopian  King,  Cepheus.  Perhaps  the  bond  of  sympathy 
that  Linnaeus  recognised  as  existing  between  them,  is  that  they 
both  have  had  to  contend  with  monsters.  Like  Andromeda  of 
spotless  purity,  who  was  chained  to  the  rock  at  sea,  our  little 
plant  finds  itself  attached  to  some  hillock  in  the  swamp.  The 
jumping,  splashing  frogs  and  sleek,  twirling  reptiles  are  no 
doubt  quite  as  fearful  to  the  gentle  flower  as  the  fiery  dragon 


PLATE  XXII.    AMERICAN  CRANBERRY.    Oxycoccus  macrocar^s- 

(SS) 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  59 

was  to  Andromeda.  And  alas,  no  Perseus  coming  to  slay  them, 
it  droops  its  head,  grows  pale  and  dies.  Its  place  is  taken  by 
an  erect  little  capsule,  which  has  quite  the  air  of  being  able  to 
take  care  of  itself. 

CALYPSO. 

Caljpso  bulbbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.  Pinky  variegated  Scentless.        Northern  latitudes.  May. 

•with  yellow. 

Flowers:  large;  terminal;  solitary;  drooping.  The  sepals  and  petals 
narrow  and  pointed;  the  lip  inflated,  sac-shaped;  within  woolly.  Leaves:  one 
only  ;  slightly  roundish,  cordate  at  base  ;  on  a  petiole  sheathing  the  stem ; 
thin.     Root :  a  bulb. 

It  is  when  we  least  expect  to  find  this  lovely  flower  that 
some  silken  thread  will  probably  guide  us  to  its  hiding  place, 
deep  down  in  some  mossy  bog.  It  is  very  shy,  very  tremulous, 
and  having  feasted  our  eyes  upon  it  we  would  fain  creep  away 
as  softly  as  we  came. 

ARETHUSA. 

Arethiisa  bulbbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.  Rose  pink.  Fragrant.  Maine  to  Virginia.  May.,  June. 

Flowers  :  large;  terminal  ;  solitary  ;  with  two  small  scales  underneath.  The 
lip  fringed,  spotted  with  purple,  and  traversed  by  three  white  ridges.  ^  The 
other  sepals  and  petals  arching  over  the  column.  Leaves:  one  only;  linear, 
appearing  from  the  sheath  of  the  scape  after  the  flower.  Scape :  from  a  bulb ; 
six  to  ten  inches  high. 

The  beautiful  nymph  Arethusa  was  first  wrapped  in  a  cloud 
by  Diana  and  then  changed  into  a  fountain  that  she  might 
escape  the  river  god,  Alpheus,  who  had  fallen  in  love  with  her, 
as,  overheated  by  the  chase,  she  bathed  in  a  clear,  flowing 
stream.  It  seems  not  improbable  that  her  nan:esake,  our 
lovely  flower,  may  have  been  placed  by  some  protecting  power 
in  the  swamps  as  a  safeguard  against  her  admirers  ;  for  surely 
no  one  could  see  the  flower  without  loving  it,  and  who  loving 
it  would  have  the  hardihood  to  leave  it  upon  its  stem  to  be 
visited  only  by  its  butterfly  sweethearts  ? 


6o  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

SHOWY  LADY'S  SUPPER. 

Cypripedium  reglncB. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.       White  and  pink.         Fragrant.         New  England  southward       June^July. 

to  North  Carolina. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary.  The  sepals  and  petals  pure  white ;  the  lip 
inflated,  one  and  a  half  inches  long,  and  shaded  in  front  with  pink  and  purple. 
Leaves  :  alternate  ;  large ;  ovate  ;  pointed  ;  parallel-veined.  Stem  :  erect ; 
leafy ;  downy. 

This  shy  and  lovely  orchid,  which  Dr.  Gray  regards  as  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  genus,  is  rather  difficult  to  find  ;  and 
although  one  of  its  haunts  in  some  remote  swamp  is  known, 
and  the  days  numbered  until  the  time  has  come  to  go  eagerly 
forth  and  seek  it,  it  is  often  sadly  true  that  some  one  has  been 
in  advance  and  carried  the  blossom  away.  But  those  that  are 
so  fortunate  as  to  be  the  first  upon  the  scene,  whether  lovers  of 
flowers  or  not,  must  delight  in  the  possession  of  so  sweet  a 
nymph.  C.  hirsutiwi  and  C.  acaule,  page  178,  are  illustrated  in 
plates  xciii  and  xciv  respectively. 

CALOPOGON.     GRASS  PINK.     {Flaie  XXIII.) 
Lifjwdbrum  tuberbsum^ 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.         Magenta  j>ink.        Fragrant.  Northeast  to  Florida  J une^July. 

and  "cvestward. 

Flowers  :  growing  loosely  in  varying  numbers  on  a  long  scape.  The  flower 
has  a  peculiar  expression,  as  though  it  were  upside  down,  owing  to  the  ovary 
being  untwisted  ;  and  the  lip  remaining  on  the  upper  instead  of  the  lower  side 
of  the  blossom.  The  lip  is  most  delicately  bearded  with  white  and  yellow. 
Leaves :  linear ;  grass-like  ;  nerved  and  sheathed  near  the  base  of  the  scape. 
Scape  :  rising  erect  from  a  bulb. 

We  have  no  wild  flower  that  is  more  patrician  in  its  bearing 
than  this  handsome  orchid.  It  suggests  a  high-bred  individ- 
ual with  a  taste  for  the  eccentric  who  calmly  persists  in  wear- 
ing his  beard  upside  down.  But  its  colouring  is  so  regal,  and 
its  beard  so  very  beautiful  that  we  cannot  wonder  at  its  not 
conforming  to  fashion  •,  which  would  certainly  rob  it  of  much 
of  its  unique  bearing.  Neither  has  this  whim  been  allowed  to 
interfere  in  any  way  with  the  domestic  arrangements  of  the 
flower.     In  most  orchids  the  lower  lip  is  brought  under,  so  as 


PLATE  XXIll.     CALOPOGON.     GRASS-PINK.     Limodorum  tubcros 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PL.ATF  XXIV.     SNAKE-MOUTH.    Pogonia  ophioglossoides. 
(6i) 


62  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

to  form  a  resting  place  for  Master  Bee  ;  as  they  are  designed 
for  insect  fertilization.  Not  to  offend  by  this  omission,  our 
lovely  flower  has  one  of  the  coloured  sepals  brought  forward  ; 
which  suits  the  undiscriminating  taste  of  its  visitors  quite  as  well. 
The  flowers  from  which  the  accompanying  plate  was  painted, 
were  very  little  less  than  two  inches  broad.  The  plant  is  not 
nearly  so  rare  as  it  is  generally  thought  to  be,  and  well  repays 
the  time  spent  in  its  quest. 

SNAKE-MOUTH.     ROSE  POQONIA.     {Plate  XXIV.) 

Pogb?iia  ophioglossoides. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.     Pale pink^  or  greenish        Fragrant.         Northeast  to  Florida       Ju7ie,July. 
"white.  and  westward. 

Flowers :  terminal  ;  solitary ;  having  the  six  unequal  divisions  of  the 
perianth  that  are  peculiar  to  the  orchid  family.  The  lower  lip  bearded  and 
fringed.  Leaves :  ovate-elliptical ;  one  wrapped  midway  about  each  stem ; 
smaller  bract-like  leaves  at  the  base  of  the  flowers.  Flower-stalk  ;  erect  from 
a  bulb. 

Why  call  this  flower  by  such  a  name 
That  makes  it  blush  as  though  in  shame  ? 
A  snake  is  e'er  a  frightful  thing, 
"Whose  mouth  gives  forth  a  deadly  sting ; 
While  naught  but  sweetness  ever  blows 
From  where  this  tranquil  flower  grows. 

To  those  that  think  of  an  orchis  simply  as  an  aerial  thing 
hanging  in  a  greenhouse,  it  seems  almost  incredible  that  this 
modest  plant  should  be  a  member  of  the  same  family.  But  if 
studied  carefully  it  will  be  seen  that  it  could  not  be  successfully 
disowned  by  the  proudest  of  its  many  relatives. 

LARGE  PURPLE-FRINGED  ORCHIS. 

Habendrza  grandifibra. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.         Violet  purple.         Fragrant.        New  England  southward  June,  July. 

and  westward. 

Flowers:  clustered  in  dense  raceme-like  spikes.  The  large  lip  one  and  a  half 
inches  long;  three-parted  ;  fan-shaped,  and  extending  into  a  long,  slender  spur  ; 
deeply  fringed  and  more  highly-coloured  than  the  other  parts.  _  The  upper 
sepals  and  petals  toothed.  Leaves:  alternate;  lanceolate;  becoming  bracts  as 
they  approach  the  flower ;  oval,  pointed,  and  clasping  at  the  base. 

This  most  beautiful  and  showy  of  the  purple-fringed  orchids, 


Seed, 


PLATE  XXV.     SMALL  PURPLE-FRINGED  ORCHIS.     Habenaria  psycodes. 

(63) 


64  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

while  apparently  simple,  is  devised  in  the  same  profound  man- 
ner that  the  family  have  chosen  to  aid  them  in  securing  the  ser- 
vices of  insects  for  cross-fertilization.  In  most  orchids  the 
perianth  is  in  two  sets,  of  three  divisions  each  ;  the  outer  set 
answers  to  sepals,  and  the  inner  set,  to  petals.  The  sepals  are 
highly  coloured  and  harmonize  with  the  petals.  By  a  peculiar 
twist  of  the  ovary,  what  would  naturally  be  the  upper  petal  is 
brought  down  and  forms  the  lower  one,  or  lip.  It  is  the  start- 
ling feature  of  the  flower  ;  and  is  rich  in  blandishments  for 
Master  Bee.  In  some  varieties  it  appeals  to  his  artistic  sense 
by  a  delicate  fringe,  or  a  superb  colour,  and  again  it  supplies 
him  with  a  substantial  meal  of  nectar.  The  internal  structure 
consists  of  one  stamen,  formed  like  a  column,  and  supported  by 
the  style  or  broad,  glutinous  stigma.  In  the  cypripediums 
there  are  two  stamens.  Just  above  the  stigma  at  either  side 
are  placed  the  two  anther  cells.  Here  the  pollen  grains  are 
concentrated  in  little  quantities,  which  are  readily  carried  off  by 
insects  to  other  flowers. 

The  divergent  anther  cells  of  H.  grandiflora  suggest  the  two 
eyes  of  a  moth,  or  butterfly,  whose  appearance  the  flower  has 
tried  to  imitate. 

SMALL  PURPLE=FRINGED  ORCHIS.     {Plate  XXF.) 
Habenaria  psycbdes. 
The  small  purple-fringed  orchis  is  more  faithful  to  the  swamps 
than  the  larger  one,  which  strays  sometimes  to  the  moist  mea- 
dows.    It  comes  into  bloom  a  little  later  in  the  season,  and  is 
not  so  handsome  a  variety  ;  but  it  has  a  delicate  perfume. 

FRINQELESS  PURPLE  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  peramaena. 

Another  more   severe  type  of  a  purple  orchis,  which  rarely 

comes  further  north  than  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey.     It  is 

found  in  wet  meadows,  or   seeking  moisture   by  following  the 

mountains.     In  size  it  is  between  that  of    the  two  preceding 


PLATE  XXVI. 


J   vViMic  FRINGED  ORCHIS.     Habenaria  blephariglottis. 
IyELLOW.FRINGED  orchis.     Habenaria  ciliaris. 


COPYRIGHT,   1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY, 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


I 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  65 

species.  The  lip  is  not  fringed  ;  but  it  is  cut-toothed  in  a  way 
that  gives  it  a  very  stiff,  prim  expression.  In  July  and  August 
we  may  expect  to  find  it  in  bloom. 

WHITE=FRINQED  ORCHIS.     {Plate  XXVI.) 
Habenaria  blcphariglottis. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis. 

White. 

Scentless. 

Northward  to  Minnesota^  and 
in  New  Jersey. 

Jtiiy. 

Flowers :  crowded  on  a  short,  oblong  spike  and  having  slender  spurs ;  the 
lower  lip  heavily  fringed.  Leaves:  alternate  ;  lanceolate ;  passing  gradually 
into  bracts  ;  clasping  at  the  base. 

It  seems,  sometimes,  that  we  hardly  know  what  to  say  about 
a  flower.  Not  because  it  is  uninteresting,  but  because  it  is  so 
very  lovely  that  our  sensations  concerning  it  are  silent.  It  is 
so  with  the  white  orchis.  When  found  in  some  cranberry  bog 
or  swamp  they  are  generally  growing  in  great  profusion.  There 
is  a  milk-white  purity  about  the  blooms,  and  their  swaying  fairy 
fringe  makes  them  very  beautiful. 

H.  cilidris,  or  the  yellow-fringed  orchis  (Plate  XXVI),  is  not 
so  frequently  found  as  the  white  one.  It  is  taller,  and  of  a 
deep,  rich  orange  in  colour.  The  two  resemble  each  other  so 
closely  that  there  has  been  a  question  whether  they  were  not 
simply  different  colours  of  the  same  species.  It  is  now  be- 
lieved, however,  that  they  are  separate  species.  The  yellow 
one  is  a  little  later  in  reaching  the  height  of  its  bloom. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  the  fringe  of  both  of 
these  orchids  is  wider  than  the  lip  it  edges. 

nOSS  MILKWORT. 

Polygala  cruciata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkwort.         Pink  or  greenish.         Scentless.         Maine  to  Florida  August. 

and  westward. 

Flowers :  small ;  growing  in  close,  short  spikes  at  the  ends  of  the  branches. 
Leaves  :  opposite ;  whorled  in  fours  ;  linear.     Stc7ns  :  long  ;  angled  ;  spreading. 

When  a  number  of  these  low  plants  are  found  growing  to- 
gether, they  have  a  mossy,  soft  appearance  that  is  very  pretty. 


Section  of  flower.        Stamen. 

PLATE  XXVII.     MARSH  CLEMATIS.     Clematis  crispa. 
(66) 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  67 

MARSH  CLEriATIS.  {Plate  XXVII.) 
Clematis  crispa. 
Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  of  our  native  species  is  the  blue 
clematis  of  the  marshes.  Its  large,  solitary,  nodding  flowers, 
which  are  gracefully  shaped,  and  silky  styles,  give  it  a  delicate, 
quaint  appearance  that  is  full  of  charm.  Unfortunately,  it  is 
little  known  outside  of  the  territory  between  southeastern  Vir- 
ginia, Florida  and  Texas.  It  blossoms  in  May  and  June,  and 
has  a  delightful  fragrance. 

MARSH  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT. 

Triadhium    Vh-orinicum. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

.  JokrCs-zvort. 

Flesh  coloured,  or 
pale  purple. 

Scentless. 

General. 

July-September. 

Flowers  :  small ;  axillary ;  terminal;  in  close  clusters;  growing  singly  or  in 
pairs.  C^/j'j; ;  of  five,  flesh-coloured  sepals.  Ccrf/Za  ;  of  five  petals.  Staifiens : 
nine  to  twelve,  in  sets  of  three  ;  each  set  separated  by  a  yellow  gland.  Pistil : 
one,  with  three  styles.  Leaves  :  opposite,  in  pairs  united  about  the  stem  ;  ob- 
long ;  not  tapering  at  either  end.  Slem  :  erect ;  brightly  coloured.  lod :  deep 
red. 

Often  in  cranberry  bogs  and  in  the  marshes  we  will  find  this 
pretty  plant  upholding  the  honour  of  the  St.  John's-wort. 


HORNED  BLADDERWORT.  (Plate  XXVIII.) 
Utricularia  coniuta. 
Among  the  aquatics  (page  34,  Plate  VIII)  we  have  already 
acquainted  ourselves  with  a  curious  connection  of  this  pretty 
plant.  U.  cornuta  we  find  in  peat  bogs  ;  it  does  not  bear  any 
bladders  and  is  therefore  less  extraordinary  in  its  movements. 
On  a  slender  pedicel  it  bears  from  two  to  four  large  flowers 
about  one  inch  long,  which  have  a  helmet-shaped  lower  lip  and 
long  curved  spur.  They  are  bright  yellow,  delicate,  and  very 
fragrant.  In  fact,  Mr.  Burroughs  regards  this  to  be  the  most 
intensely  fragrant  wild  flower  of  our  country. 


PLATE  XXVIII.     HORNED  BLADDERWORT.      Utricularia  cornuta. 

(68) 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  69 

SriALL  riAGNOLIA.     SWEET  BAY. 

JMagnblia  Virgitiiana. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Magnolia.  White.  Fragrant.  Along  the  coast.  June,  July. 

Flowers:  solitary;  terminal  at  the  end  of  the  branches.  Calyx:  of  three 
sepals  on  the  receptacle.  Corolla  :  of  six  to  nine  rounded  petals.  Stamens: 
numerous.  Pistils:  numerous;  arranged  in  the  shape  of  a  cone.  Frtiit :  cone- 
like; red,  with  one  or  two  scarlet  seeds.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  obovate  ;  pointed  ; 
downy  and  whitish  underneath.  A  shrub  four  to  twenty  feet  high,  leafy,  branch- 
ing. 

As  the  summers  return  to  us,  the  lovely,  fragrant  blossoms 
of  the  magnolia  find  their  way  back  to  the  swamps.  Tiie 
shrub  is  one  with  which  the  children  have  hardly  made  a  fair 
compact.  With  their  ruthless  little  fingers,  they  strip  it  of  its 
petals,  which  they  put  into  bottles  and  cover  with  alcohol.  A 
few  shakes  are  all  that  is  then  necessary  to  transform  the  decoc- 
tion into  the  "  most  delightful  perfume,"  and  they  offer  it  to 
their  friends  at  a  price  much  below  that  of  the  market. 

ROSE  riALLOW.     SWAMP  MALLOW.     {Plate  XXIX.) 
Hibiscus  Moscheutos. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mallow.  Pink.  Scentless.  A  long  the  coast.  A  ugust. 

Flowers  :  large  ;  seven  to  eight  inches  in  diameter  ;  solitary.  Calyx  :  of  five 
green  sepals  surrounded  by  an  under  layer  of  twelve  slender,  pointed  bracts. 
Corolla  :  of  five  pink  petals  that  become  magenta  at  the  base.  Stamens  :  in- 
numerable ;  growing  out  from  all  sides  of  a  formation  wrapped  about  the  style. 
Pistils :  ^ve  united  into  one.  Stigmas:  five;  resembling  tiny  mushrooms. 
Leaves:  on  petioles;  the  larger  and  lower  ones  three-lobed  ;  the  upper  ones 
ovate ;  downy  underneath.     Stem  :  erect ;  high,  reaching  six  and  eight  feet. 

In  late  August,  when  the  rose  mallow  rises  to  its  stately 
height  among  the  tall  grasses  of  the  salt  marshes,  the  passer-by 
pauses  and  gives  it  the  admiration  it  claims.  Undoubtedly  it  is 
the  most  gorgeous  of  all  the  plants  indigenous  to  the  United 
States,  An  old  gentleman  who  had  loved  it  from  childhood  al- 
ways said  of  it  :  "■  It  is  the  flower  that  I  take  off  my  hat  to." 
And  he  did  not  regard  it  as  inferior  to  the  Chinese  rose  hibiscus 
which  is  cultivated  in  our  greenhouses.  It  is  from  the  petals  of 
the  latter  species  that  the  women  in  China  extract  the  black  dye 
to  colour  their  teeth  with.     Although  at  a  great  distance  the 


70  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

large  flowers  of  our  plant  can  be  seen,  it  is  often  difficult  of  ap- 
proach. Positive  terror  seizes  hold  of  the  timorous,  and  their 
ardour  for  it  is  often  tossed  in  the  balance  with  the  fear  of 
snakes.  Once  plucked,  it  fades  quickly,  closes  its  petals  and 
droops  its  head  as  though  in  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  its  own  en- 
vironment. 

Growing  side  by  side  with  the  rose  mallow  will  often  be 
found  its  white  sister,  whose  centre  is  a  deep  crimson  and  whose 
stem  is  highly  coloured.  It  is  a  common  error  to  call  these  plants 
"  marsh-mallow,"  which  is  properly,  Althcza  officinalis^  and  which 
grows  in  the  borders  of  salt  marshes  on  the  Eastern  coast.  It 
is  a  much  more  rare  plant  than  the  rose  mallow  and  is  possessed 
of  medicinal  properties.  From  its  mucilaginous  substance 
the  famous  confection  of  marsh-mallow  is  made. 

SEA  LAVENDER.  HARSH  ROSEMARY. 

LimSnium  CaroliiiiaJiuin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Leadwori.  Lavender.  Fragrant.  Along  the  coast.  August,  September. 

Flowers :  tiny;  growing  in  panicles  along  one  side  of  the  branches.  Calyx  : 
funnel-form;  five-cleft.  Corol/a  :  oi  five  petzls.  Stamens  :  ^ve.  Pistil :  one, 
with  three,  or  five  styles.  Root-leaves :  lanceolate,  tapering  into  a  petiole  ; 
thick.     Stetn  :  naked  ;  much  branched  at  the  summit. 

Where  winds  off  the  sea  blow  gaily 

And  playfully  kiss  the  land, 
Marsh  rosemary  sways  and  trembles 

And  nods  to  the  pallid  sand. 

The  corolla  of  this  little  flower,  which  en  masse  suggests  the 
filmy  sea-spray,  dries  and  remains  bright  throughout  the 
winter.  It  is  highly  prized  for  bouquets  and  used  by  thrifty 
housewives  to  frighten  away  moths.  About  Shelter  Island  and 
Sag  Harbor  it  tints  the  coast  with  its  delicate  bloom. 

BUCKBEAN.     {Plate  XXX.) 
Menydnthes  trifoliata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Buckbean.         Whiie^  or  reddish.  Scentless.         Mostly  north.  May,  June. 

Flowers  :  growing  along  a  scape  of  about  one  foot  high.  Calyx  :  small  ;  five- 
parted.     Corolla  :  gamopetalous  ;  five-cleft ;  the  upper  surface  covered  with  a 


PLATE   XXIX.     ROSE   MALLOW.     Hibiscus  Moscheutos. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   TREOERICK  A.    STOKES  COMPANY 
PAINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  XXX.     BUCKBEAN.    Menyanthes  trifoliata. 
(71) 


72  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

white  beard.    Stamens:  five.    Pistil:  or\e.    Stigma  :  i\vo-\oh&6..    Leaves:  three 
oblong  leaflets  borne  on  a  long  petiole.     Rooisiock :  creeping. 

Hidden  away  in  some  secluded  corner  of  a  swamp  we  may 
chance  upon  the  lovely  white  buckbean.  Its  racemes  of  star- 
like faces,  covered  with  the  soft  fringe,  have  a  sweet  expression 
that  is  most  attractive. 

SEA=PINK. 

Sabbdtia  stellaris. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Gentian.  Deep  pink.  Scentless.  Mass.  southward.  August. 

Flowers:  large  ;  solitary;  terminal  on  the  ends  of  the  flower-stalks.  Calyx : 
of  five-parted  linear  lobes.  Corolla  :  wheel-shaped ;  with  five,  deeply-parted 
lobes.  Stamens  :  five.  Pistil :  one  ;  style,  two-cleft.  Leaves  :  opposite  ; 
lanceolate  ;  becoming  linear  as  they  ascend  the  stem.  Stem  :  branching  ; 
slender. 

We  may  picture  to  ourselves  the  sea-pinks  by  the  side  of  a 
green  marsh  with  the  salt  breezes  blowing  about  us.  There, 
spread  out  in  brilliantly-coloured  masses  of  great  extent,  they 
form  a  little  world  by  themselves, — living  and  weaving  out  their 
own  destiny.  A  bright,  cheery  lot  they  are  too,  with  round  yellow 
eyes  that  look  at  us  frankly  and  without  showing  the  slightest 
signs  of  drowsiness.  There  is  very  little  sleep  allowed  in  their 
households,  hardly  even  forty  winks  ;  and  yet  they  do  not  want 
for  beauty.     They  are  always  fresh  and  bright  and  wide-awake. 

S.  dadecaudra,  or  large  sabbatia,  is  a  beautiful  species,  whose 
blooms  are  rosy  pink,  or  white.  The  corolla  is  fuller  than  that 
of  the  preceding  flower  and  often  as  much  as  two  and  a 
quarter  inches  broad.  On  the  borders  of  brackish  ponds,  es- 
pecially in  southern  New  Jersey,  it  is  found  in  great  abundance. 

S.  campatiul^ta  (Plate  XXXI.)  is  readily  known  by  the  length 
of  its  sepals,  which  is  unusually  great,  equal,  in  fact,  to  that  of 
the  petals. 

Throughout  Massachusetts,  and  especially  about  Plymouth, 
the  sabbatia  is  held  in  great  admiration,  almost  reverence.  It  is 
called  the  rose  of  Plymouth,  and  it  is  generally  believed  that  its 
generic  name  is  associated  with  the  pilgrims  having  first  beheld 
it  on  the  sabbath  day.    Facts,  however,  that  are  often  just  a  trifle 


PLATE  XXX!.     SEA-PINK.     Sabbat ia  campamilata. 


74  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

disagreeable,  tell  us  this  is  an  unfounded  notion  which  has  been 
circulated  within  the  last  thirty  years  ;  and  that  the  genus  is 
named  for  an  early  botanist,  Liberatus  Sabbatia. 

VENUS'S  FLY-TRAP.      {^Plate  XXXII) 

Dz'oncsa  ?nuscipula. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Sundew.  I.k'/iite.  Sceniless.  WilmiKgton,  N.  C.  Spring. 

Flowers:  growing  on  a  scape  in  a  flat-topped  umbel.  Calyx:  of  five 
sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five,  obcordate  petals.  Stamens  :  fifteen.  Pistil ;  one  ; 
stigma,  fringed  and  lobed.  Leaves  :  long  and  narrow;  terminated  by  a  "bristly 
bordered  trap  ;  green  or  crimson  inside. 

Even  the  flowers  must  crane  their  necks  and  gaze  in  wonder 
at  the  uncanny  actions  of  the  Venus's  fly-trap  :  a  creature  of 
most  cunning  devices.  The  trap-like  appendage  that  termi- 
nates each  leaf  is  set,  so  to  speak,  when  the  sun  shines.  Its 
brilliant  lining  piques  the  curiosity  of  small  insects,  which,  un- 
conscious of  the  wise  maxim,  to  look  with  one's  eyes  and  not 
with  one's  fingers,  attempt  to  investigate  for  themselves.  No 
sooner  does  one  arrive  and  brush  against  the  bristles  that  line 
the  edge  of  the  trap,  than  the  latter  closes  and  crushes  the  life 
out  of  the  intruder.  In  adroitness  it  can  well  vie  with  the 
spider.  The  poor  guileless  fly  is  then  prepared  for  digestion  by 
a  secretion  from  minute  glands  that  line  the  inner  surface  of 
the  leaves.  His  end  is  in  assimilation  and  affording  nourish- 
ment to  the  plant. 

Should  the  fly  by  any  chance  effect  an  escape,  the  trap  would 
then  innocently  open  and  again  await  its  opportunity. 

ROUND-LEAVED  SUNDEW. 

Drosera  rotioidifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Sundew.  White.  Scentless.  Northern  atid  eastern.  Alidsumvier. 

Flowers  :  small  ;  growing  on  one  side  of  a  raceme-like  cluster  at  the  end  of  a 
naked  scape  that  uncoils  as  the  flowers  expand.  Calyx :  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  of  five  petals.  Stamens  :  five  to  fifteen.  Pistil:  one,  with  a  deeply 
three  or  five  parted  style.  Leaves:  rounded;  provided  with  leafstalks;  the 
upper  surface  rough  and  sticky.  The  edge  of  the  leaf  fringed  with  reddish 
bristles. 

When  the  sun  shines  upon  the   leaves  of  this  little  bog  herb 


PLATE  XXXII.     VENUSS  FLV-TRAP.     Dlona-a  muscipiila. 

COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.    STOKES  COMPANY. 
PPIN-'ED   rN   AMFRICA 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  75 

they  are,  poetically  speaking,  covered  with  sparkling  drops  of 
dew  ;  but  which  in  stern  reality  we  find  to  be  a  glutinous  exu- 
dation that  serves  to  entice  insects  to  visit  them  and  then  to 
hold  them  fast.  The  red  bristles  complete  the  capture  by  clos- 
ing tightly  over  the  victim  ;  and  he  is  prepared  for  digestion 
very  much  in  the  same  manner  as  is  practiced  by  the  Venus's 
fly-trap.  The  range  of  the  sundew  is  not  so  restricted,  and  it  is 
worth  one's  while  to  search  it  out  and  try  the  experiment  of 
feeding  it  with  flies,  so  as  to  put  oneself  on  a  plane  beyond  sur- 
prise at  the  actions  of  the  insectivorous  plants. 

SOUTHERN  LOBELIA. 

Lobelia  amcena. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lobelia.         Blue  or  white.     Scentless.     Florida  to  South  Carolina        September^  October. 

and  westward. 

Flowers :  growing  profusely  in  a  close,  one-sided  raceme  with  many  small 
bracts.  Calyx  :  of  five  linear  lobes ;  the  sinuses  without  appendages.  Corolla  : 
long,  irregularly  five-lobed.  Stamens:  five,  the  filaments  united  into  a  tube. 
Pistil:  one  ;  stigma  two-lobed,  and  about  it  a  ring  of  hairs.  Leaves  :  scattered  ; 
oblong  ;  the  lower  ones  on  petioles  ;  the  upper  ones  nearly  sessile.  Steryi :  two 
to  four  feet  high  ;  erect. 

In  the  rich  soil  of  the  southern  swamps  we  find  this  lobelia. 
If  it  were  colourless  we  would  probably  pass  it  by  ;  but  its 
bright  blue  or  pure  white  enchain  us  and  we  forgive  it  its 
happy-go-lucky,  ragged,   unkempt  appearance. 


SALT-HARSH  FLEABANE. 

Pliichea  camphor  at  a. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.     Pale  lavender  pink.      Strongly  scented.      Along  the  coast.         September. 

Flower-heads :  composed  of  small,  tubular  flowers  arranged  in  a  flat  corymb. 
Leaves  :  sessile  ;  oblong  ;  toothed  ;  rough.     Stefn  :  with  small,  hairy  glands. 

It  is  not  until  the  early  autumn  that  this  little  plant  unfolds 

its  pale  bloom  in   the  marshes.     We  are  strongly  reminded   of 

the  everlastings  by  its  manner  of  growth  ;  and  if  we  try  hard 

enough  we  may  imagine  its  odour  to  be  like  that  of  camphor, 

as  its  generic  name  implies. 


TIME  OF  BLOOM 


er. 


76  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

SWAMP  MILKWEED. 

Asdepias  iiicarndta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE 

Milkweed.  Crimson.  Scentless.  Maine  to  Louisiana.  'juTy^Sefleml 

Flowers:  perfect;  regular;  growing  in  terminal  umbels.  Calyx-  of  five 
sepa  s  the  tube  very  short  Corolla  ;  funnel-form,  with  five  reflexed  lobes  that 
nearly  hide  the  sepals  1  he  next  inner  row  of  upright  bodies  are  hoods,  or 
nectaries  that  enclose  five  little  incurved  horns  ;  and  under  these  horns  are  the 
stamens  and  pistils.  Sfa7ne7ts  :  five,  with  fringed  tips  that  are  not  the  anthers 
Afitkers:  attached  to  the  short  filaments  by  their  bases  and  uniting  and  en- 
closing the  pistils.  Fallen  :  in  distinct  little  masses  within  the  anthers  •  two 
being  attached  together  by  a  thread.  Fislils :  two;  united  above  into  a  flat 
sticky  disk.  Frint :  a  pair  of  pods  with  numerous  seeds  and  soft,  silky  hairs  • 
seldom  more  than  one  becoming  fully  developed.  Lea^Jes  :  narrow;  oblone  • 
somewhat  heart-shaped  at  base.  Stem:  two  to  three  feet  high;  very  leaflv' 
smooth,  with  little  milky  juice.  ^       ^' 

Of  this  very  striking  and  handsome  family  Professor  Britton 
says:  "There  are  about  220  genera  and  1900  species  of  very 
wide  distribution." 

The  flowers  are  difficult,  but  not  impossible,  for  the  non- 
botanist  to  analyse  ;  and  the  attempt  will  at  all  events  pique 
one's  curiosity  enough  to  encourage  him  to  pry  closely  into 
their  intricacies. 

The  milkweeds  are  entirely  dependent  on  insects  for  fertiliza- 
tion ;  as  the  pollen  masses  lie  too  low  in  the  blossoms  to  reach 
the  stigma.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  they  have  provided  them- 
selves with  the  little  hoods  that  hold  the  nectar,  as  it  could  not 
be  retained  by  the  reflexed  corolla  lobes.  Bees,  therefore,  visit 
the  plants  gladly,  and  when  their  feet  become  entangled  in  the 
tiny  thread  that  holds  together  the  pollen  masses  they  carry 
them  off  without  complaining.  A.  Syriaca,  page  280,  Plate 
CXLIV. 

A.  lanceolata,  {Plate  XXXIII)  is  a  brilliant  variety  of  the 
swamps  that  occurs  southward  from  New  Jersey  to  Florida  and 
Texas.  The  umbels  have  but  few  flowers,  very  large  and 
showy,  and  are  of  an  intense  orange-red  colour.  It  blooms  in 
July  and  August. 


PLATE   XXXlll 


(  MILKWEED.     Asclepias  lanceolata. 
(ASHY  MILKWEED.     Asclepias  cinerea. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD.  77 

ASHY  MILKWEED.     (Plate  XXXIIJ,) 

Asclepias  cinirea. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkweed. 

Purple  without^  ask 
coloured  within. 

Scentless, 

Florida  to  South 
Carolina. 

July^August. 

Flowers  :  small ;  growing  in  umbels.  (See  A.  incarnata^  page  76.)  Leaves  : 
opposite;  lanceolate,  or  linear  narrowing  into  a  petiole.  Stem:  one  to  two 
feet  high  ;  erect ;  slender  ;  somewhat  pubescent. 

This  lovely  species  of  milkweed  is  found  mostly  in  wet 
barrens.  It  is  one  of  our  shy  and  well-bred  weeds  which  must 
look  with  disdain  upon  the  bad  manners  of  the  numerous 
European  plants  that  have  made  their  homes  in  this  country. 

GOLDEN-ROD, 

Solidcigo  nligsfibsa  is  a  'golden-rod  that  we  find  in  the  peat 
bogs.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  genus  to  come  into  bloom, 
often  budding  out  in  July.  The  small  flowers  are  closely 
crowded  in  long,  narrow  panicles  ;  and  the  leaves  are  lanceolate 
and  pointed.  Those  of  the  root  sometimes  grow  to  a  great 
length. 

S.J>dtHla,  rough-leaved  or  spreading  golden-rod,  is  a  swamp 
species  that  has  flower-heads  growing  in  short  racemes.  The 
long  leaves  are  noticeable  from  their  very  rough  upper  surface 
and  being  smooth  on  the  under  side. 

S.juncea,pagQ  136,  Plate  LXIX. 

SWAilP  ASTERN. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR        RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.    Purple,  blue  or  white.    Scentless.    General.   Late  sitmmei' and  early  auluntn, 

Floaver-heads  :  composed  of  tubular  and  ligulate  flowers;  or  ray  and  disk 
flowers.     The  rays  purple,  blue  or  white  and  the  disks  yellow. 

NEW  ENGLAND  ASTERS. 

Aster  NbvcE-Anglice, 
The  rich  soil  of  the  swamps  and  low  grounds  can  boast  as 
lovely  members  of  the  aster  family  as  any  field,  or  roadside 


78  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MUD. 

bank.  The  common  New  England  aster  is  tall  and  stately  ; 
from  four  to  eight  feet  high.  It  is  heavily  foliaged  with  clasp- 
ing, lanceolate  leaves  and  its  flower-heads  are  arranged  in  large, 
dense  corymbs.  The  many  rays  are  a  beautiful  violet  purple, 
or  sometimes  a  soft  magenta. 

A.punkeus  is  an  accompanying  flower  of  the  swamps.  It  also 
is  tall,  but  cannot  vie  with  the  above,  as  its  utmost  height  ap- 
pears to  be  about  seven  feet.  Its  long,  slender  rays  vary  in 
colour  from  pale  lilac  blue  to  dark  purple.  The  leaves  are 
long  with  a  projection  like  ears  at  the  base.  On  the  upper  side 
they  are  quite  rough. 

Ddellingeria  umbellctta  is  the  white  representative  of  the 
swamps,  and  grows  quite  as  tall  as,  if  not  taller  than,  the  purple 
varieties.  Its  flower-heads  are  clustered  rather  flatly  in  com- 
pound corymbs  :  a  mark  by  which  it  may  be  identified.  The 
lower  leaves  are  very  long  and  the  stem  leafy  to  the  top. 

A.  nemoralis^  or  bog  aster,  grow's  from  one  to  two  feet  tall 
and  has  pretty  lilac-rayed  flowers.  The  leaves  are  sessile,  long, 
rigid  and  distinctly  marked  by  their  margins  that  roll  back- 
wards.    The  plant  is  quite  rough. 

Sandy  and  dry-soil  asters,  Plate  CXXXIII. 


Plants    Growing    in    Moist    Soil:    Low 
Meadows  and  by  Running  Streams. 


**  Now  when  it  flowerethy 

And  when  the  banks  and  fields 

Are  greener  every  day^ 
And  sweet  is  each  bird's  breath 

In  the  tree  where  he  builds 

Singing  after  his  way^ 
Spring  comes  to  ns  with  hasty  steps  and  briefs 

Everywhere  is  leafy 
And  everywhere  snakes  people  laugh  and  play  y 

Rinaldo  U Aquino, 

LARGER  BLUE  FLAG.    FLEUR-DE-LIS*    (Plate  XXXIV:) 
Iris  versicolor.' 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE       TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Iris.         Royal  ^urple^variegated  with        Scentless.-       Southward  to       May  ^  June, 
white^  yellow  and  green.  the  Gulf. 

JF/owers :  Izrge ;  solitary;  growing  at  the  ends  of  the  flower-stalks  and 
branches.  jPermnl/t :  of  six  divisions  united  below  into  a  tube;  the  three 
outer  ones  spreading,  with  abundance  of  yellow ;  the  three  inner  ones,  erect 
and  smaller.  Stamens:  three  ;  hidden  under  the  overarching  style.  Pistil: 
one,  with  a  three-cleft,  petal-like  style  that  arches  over  its  own  stigmas. 
Leaves  :  equitant,  or  folded  lengthwise  ;  sword-shaped ;  mostly  at  the  base  of 
the  stem.    Stem  :  stout ;  leafy  ;  branched  above ;  glaucous. 

Juno,  as  we  must  all  agree,  was  a  goddess  of  rare  taste.  For 
her  favourite  bird  she  chose  the  peacock,  and  her  attendant,  or 
messenger,  was  Iris,  the  goddess  of  the  rainbow.     In  this  regal 


8o  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

flower  it  would  seem  as  though  we  have  a  touch  of  the  spirit 
and  pride  of  Juno.  When  it  unfolds  itself,  with  an  almost  con- 
scious air  of  its  own  beauty,  we  are  reminded  of  the  bird  that 
opens  and  parades  his  gorgeous  tail,  whenever  he  finds  himself 
the  centre  of  admiration.  And  a  bit  of  Iris's  scarf  must  have 
been  wafted  to  it  for  its  gown  ;  for  the  colours  blend  together 
while  being  distinct,  as  in  the  rainbow.  The  ancients  thought 
the  iris  a  sacred  flower  and  associated  it  with  the  future  state 
of  the  blessed. 

The  graceful  beauty  is,  however,  not  all  fuss  and  feathers. 
It  has  the  same  wisdom  as  many  unpretentious  flowers  and 
knows  how  to  accomplish  its  mission  in  the  world.  Ely  a  deep 
central  veining  it  informs  tlie  bee  of  the  road  he  must  travel  to 
reach  the  land  of  nectar  ;  and  when  he  has  sipped  and  raises 
his  head  from  under  the  anthers,  the  careless  fellow  finds  his 
back  heavy  with  gold  that  he  must  carry  off  to  the  stigma  of 
another  flower.  Indeed,  of  all  politicians  the  bees  are  the  most 
conscientious. 

CRESTED  DWARF-IRIS.    (Plate  XXXV.) 
Iris  cristata. 

This  is  one  of  the  sturdy  dwarf  irises,  which  follows  the  Al- 
leghanies  and  chooses  the  rocky  banks  of  streams  for  its  dwell- 
ing place.  It  blossoms  in  April  and  May  and  is  of  a  soft  violet 
blue.  The  flower  is  spreading,  with  a  much  longer  tube  than 
that  of  the  I,  versicolar.  Its  outer  divisions  are  prettily  crested. 
The  leaves  are  not  conspicuous  ;  lanceolate  and  clasping. 

POINTED  BLUE-EYED  GRASS,     {Plate  XXXVI.) 

Sisyrfnchtum  angustifblium, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Iris.        Blue  with  yellow  centre.        Scentless.  General.  MnyAugtut. 

Flowers :  solitary ;  growing  from  a  pair  of  green  bracts.  Perianth  :  of  six 
divisions  that  terminate  in  a  sharp  point.  Stamens:  three.  Pistil:  one. 
Leaves:  linear;  grass-like;  pale;  glaucous. 

These  bright  little  peep-eyes  that  attract  our  attention  among 


PLATE  XXXIV.     LARGER   BLUE  FLAG.     Ins  versicolor. 


COPYR(GHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPAW" 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA 


PLATE  XXXV.     CRESTED  DWARF-IRIS.    Iris  cristata. 
(8i) 


82  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

the  summer  grass  in  the  moist  meadows,  impress  us  with  the 
idea  that  they  have  come  out  to  show  us  that  all  the  grass 
could  bloom  as  beautifully,  if  it  had  the  mind  to  do  so  ;  and 
that  if  we  were  good,  as  it  is  said  to  the  children,  we  might 
some  day  find  our  fields  covered  with  their  sparkling  little 
faces.  They  dislike  being  picked,  and  after  they  have  been 
severed  from  their  stem,  shrivel  almost  immediately, 

YELL0W"-ADDER*5   TONGUE.     DOG'S-TOOTH    VIOLET. 

(^Plate  XXXVII) 
Erythrbnuan  Amerzcanum. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Liiy. 

Pale  yellow^  tinged 
with  j^urple. 

Scentless. 

Throughout  the  east. 

March-May. 

Flowers:  terminal;  solitary;  nodding.  Perianth:  of  six,  slender,  recurved 
divisions,  streaked  with,  and  the  underside  of,  purple.  Stamens:  six.  Pistil: 
one;  stj'le,  club-shaped.  Leaves:  two  only;  oblong;  pointed;  spotted  with 
dark  purple  and  white.    Stem  :  rising  from  a  corni. 

The  names  of  this  beautiful  flower  are  rather  confusing,  and 
bring. to  the  mind  objects  of  entirely  different  aspect  from 
that  of  the  one  to  which  they  relate.  *'  Dog's-tooth,"  we  are 
told,  refers  to  a  supposed  resemblance  of  the  roots  of  the  plant 
to  the  canine  teeth  of  a  dog ;  but  this  would  not  help  the  wan- 
derer by  the  woodland  brook  to  any  great  extent,  as  the  roots 
are  commonly  hidden.  Why  the  name  of  violet  was  ever  at- 
tached to  it,  is  rather  a  mystery ;  and  in  any  case  must  have 
been  from  a  purely  imaginative  idea.  If  one  of  its  names 
must  be  used,  it  were  better  to  choose  yellow-adder's  tongue, 
which  at  least  gives  a  clue  to  its  colour ;  and  the  marking  of 
i'ts  leaves  is  not  dissimilar  to  an  adder's  skin.  But  how  much 
prettier  and  more  appropriate  are  the  names  of  fawn  lily,  or 
trout  lily,  which  have  been  suggested  by  Mr.  Burroughs.  At 
night  the  flower  gently  closes. 

E.  albidum^  the  white  species,  is  similar  in  appearance.  It 
bears  a  bluish-white  flower  and  the  leaves  are  not  nearly  so 
spotted.     It  is  commonly  found  farther  west  than  Pennsylvania. 


PLATE  XXXVl       POINTED  BLUE-EYED  GRASS.    Sisyyinchiuma7igustifolium. 


COPYRIGHT,  1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED  IN  AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  83 

WILD  YELLOW  LILY.     MEADOW  LILY, 

Lilium  Canadinse. 

FAMILY  COLOUR     ^  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

LUy.        Yellow^  spotted  with       Scentless.        New  England^  south-  June,  July 

rich  brown,  ward  and  westward. 

Flcnvers:  terminal;  solitary,  or  a  few;  nodding.  Perianth :  ol  six,  deeply 
parted  divisions  that  curve  towards  the  base,  where  there  is  a  honey-bearing 
spot.  Stamens:  six.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  three-lobed.  Leaves:  whorled 
about  the  stem;  narrowly  oblong ;  parallel-veined.  Stem:  erect,  £rom  a  scaly 
bulb. 

When  we  walk  in  the  meadows  and  read  the  aristocracy  of 
the  flowers  we  find  that  the  golden  lilies  are  very  noble.  They 
seem  to  have  none  of  the  democratic,  bohemian  instincts  of  our 
pretty  chicory  and  its  playmates.  They  are  so  grave  and 
dignified.  No  doubt  fate  has  whispered  to  them  that  they  were 
only  to  nod  their  heads  through  the  ages  of  poetry,  or  to  en- 
courage the  beautiful  in  art.  And  their  influence  is  very  far 
reaching;  sometimes  whole  meadows  will  be  radiant  with  them 
as  they  extend  their  way  down  to  the  marshes. 

Of  about  fifty  species  of  the  north  temperate  zone,  the 
meadow  lily  is  one  of  the  five  that  are  native  to  the  eastern 
United  States. 

L.  Carolinianum^  or  the  Carolina  lily,  {Plate  XXXVIII)  is  very 
slight  in  its  variations  from  the  meadow  lily ;  although  a  still 
more  gorgeous  flower.  The  leaves  are  broader  and  its  orange- 
red  colour  is  tipped  with  a  highly  brilliant  crimson.  The  spots 
that  colour  the  longitudinal  anthers  are  of  the  darker  brown. 

TURK*5-CAP  LILY. 

Lih'um  supirbuin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily^    OrAnge^  spotted  with.       Scentless.  Maine  to  Minnesota^       July^  August, 

purple.  ajid  southward. 

Flowers:  nodding;  growing  in  a  pyramidal  cluster  of  three  to  forty  blos- 
soms arranged  in  rows.  Periafith :  of  six,  recurved  divisions.  Sta?nens :  six  ; 
anthers,  linear,  attached  at  the  middle.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  three-lobed. 
Leaves :  whorled ;  sessile ;  lanceolate.    Sle?n  :  often  eight  feet  high. 

Perhaps  we  have  no  other  flower  so  truly  majestic  in  its  bearing 
as  the  Turk's-cap  lily.     It  is  very  generous  of  its  bloom  and  is 


84  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

most  gorgeous  in  the  sunshine,when  the  slanting  rays  of  the  sun 
upon  the  petals  appear  like  a  luminous  maze  of  changing  colours. 
About  Cape  Cod  it  is  very  common,  and  all  along  the  New 
England  coast  it  grows  in  great  profusion. 

BLAZING    STAR.      DEVIL'S    BIT.      DROOPING     STAR- 
WORT. 

Chamcclirium  luteujn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

MuAtch-dower.        ^Yhiic.  Scentless.      Mostly  south  and  "west.  May-July. 

Flowers:  small;  staminate  and  pistillate;  nodding;  growing  in  a  spike-like 
raceme.  Leaves:  lanceolate;  becoming  linear;  sessile.  Basal  leaves:  spat- 
ulate  ;  tapering  into  a  long  petiole. 

These  wand-like  racemes  of  inoffensive  little  flowers  make 
us  wonder  what  mischief  they  could  ever  have  indulged  in  to 
have  been  connected  with  the  devil.  In  fact,  it  is  even  incon- 
siderate of  that  individual  not  to  have  chosen  for  him  a  bit  of 
more  substance. 

STOUT  STENANTHIUM.     {Plate  XXXIX.) 
Stendnt/n'um  robiHstum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Bunch-flower.     White.,  with  green    Scentless.        Penn.  southward         July,  August, 
centre.  and  westward. 

Flowers:  clustered  in  a  long,  panicled,  light  raceme.  Perianth:  of  six 
lance-like,  pointed  divisions.  Stamens:  six,  short,  Fiitil:  one.  Leaves: 
linear;  grass-like;  nerved.    Stem:  erect;  high. 

A  lovely,  high,  waving  plant  which  bends  and  sways  with 
the  cool  breezes  on  the  lonely  prairie,  or  in  the  moist  meadows. 
Its  stately  air  and  soft  colouring  recall  to  mind  a  fair  debutante 
in  spotless  tulle  with  long  streamers  of  green  satin  ribbon. 
No  less  than  she  is  the  flower  a  belle  of  the  prairies. 

FOUR-WINGED  SNOWDROP  TREE.     {Plate  XL.) 

Mohrodendron  Carolznum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Storax.  White.  Scentless.  Mostly  south  and  west.  March,  April. 

Flowers:  growing  in  loose  racemes  along  the  branches.  Calyx:  short; 
four-toothed.     Corolla :  bell-shaped ;  drooping ;  four,  or  five  parted.    Stamens  : 


\ 


?!^ 


H 


PLATE   XXXVll.     YELLOW-ADDER'S  TONGUE.     E}ythyoniu}ii  Amcricaniim. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899     BY  FREDERICK  A.   BTOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED  IN  AMERICA. 


PLATE  XX.XIX.    STOUT  STENANTHIUM.     Stcnanthiicm  robiaium. 

(85) 


S6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.. 

eight  to  sixteen.  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  oblong;  two  to  £our-winged.  Leaves: 
ovate-oblong;  toothed  ;  slightly  pubescent  underneath.  A  shrub  or  small  tree 
"with  soft  wood. 

This  beautiful  tree  is  one  of  the  very  few  species  that  are 
natives  of  southeastern  North  America.  It  is  not  so  chary  of 
its  snowdrops  as  those  dear  little  plants  that  we  see  about 
country  dooryards  ;  and  which  tell  us  so  plainly  that  the  spring 
is  coming.  The  blossoms  appear  in  abundance  with,  or  before, 
the  leaves  and  cover  the  tree  with  gems  of  pure  beauty.  We 
are  sometimes  so  fortunate  as  to  chancfe  upon  it  in  moist 
woods,  but  more  often  by  the  side  of  some  sparkling  stream. 

CHOKE-CHERRY.     {Plate  XLL) 
Priitius  Virginiana, 

FAMILY  COLOUR        ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Plum.  White.        Scentless.        New  England  sotdh  to  Georgia  Aprils  May. 

and  west  to  Colorado. 

Flowers:  clustered  in  short,  close  racemes.  Calyx:  tubular;  bell-shaped; 
iive-lobed.  Corolla:  of  five  tiny  petals.  Starn^ns :  numerous.  Pistil:  one. 
Fruit :  a  beautiful,  bright  red  berry  which  turns  to  dark  crimson  as  the  season 
advances.  The  stone  and  kernel  of  the  fruit  have  the  flavour  of,  and  contain 
prussic  acid.  Leaves:  alternate;  oval;  pointed;  sharply  serrate,  A  tall 
shrub,  or  small  tree  with  dark,  greyish  bark. 

The  beautiful  drooping  bunches  of  fruit  that  ripen  in  July  or 
August  are  even  more  attractive  by  the  side  of  some  running 
stream  than  the  choke-cherry's  closely  packed  racemes  of 
dainty  bloom.  One  should  not,  however,  be  tempted  to  test 
their  beauty  by  tasting,  as  the  flavour  is  most  astringent. 

MEADOW-SWEET.     QUEEN-OF-THE-MEADOWS. 

Spir&a  salicifblza, 

FAMILY         COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.     Pink  or  white.     Scentless^     New  England  southward.    June.,  July  and  August. 

Flowers:  small;  clustered  in  panicles.  Calyx:  of  five  cleft  sepals.  Corolla: 
of  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens:  very  numerous.  Pistils:  five  to  eight. 
Leaves:  alternate;  lanceolate;  toothed;  veined  with  a  much  lighter  colour  and 
single  small  leaflets  at  their  bases.    Stem  :  rather  smooth  ;  highly  coloured. 

The  sweet,  fleecy  daintiness  of  the  meadow-sweet  which 
greets  us  in  the  low,  moist  meadows  must  have  been  the  inspir- 
ation that  gave  it  its  common  name,  as  it  is  unfortunately  with- 


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V'l'  f 


\K 


PLATE  XXXVIII.     CAROLINA  LILY.     Li/mm  Carolhiianum. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK   A.    STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  XL.  FOUR-WINGED  SNOWDROP  TREE.  Mohrodendron  Carolmuiru 

(87) 


88  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

out  fragrance.  It  is  when  we  find  so  lovely  a  flower  scentless 
that  we  realise  how  great  a  charm  that  of  perfume  is,  and  how 
much  we  are  appealed  to  through  fragrance.  In  fact,  in 
delight  of  sweetness  of  smell  we  are  veritable  bees  and  butter^ 
flies. 

Many  flowers  use  the  means  of  casting  out  fragrance  to 
inform  the  insects  of  their  whereabouts;  and  it  has  been 
observed,  as  in  the  case  of  the  meadow-sweet,  that  those  that 
are  sufficiently  showy  to  attract  the  bee's  eye  seldom  appeal 
as  well  to  his  sense  of  smell. 

STEEPLE=BU5H.    HARDHACK. 

Spz'rka  tomentosa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.         Peach-blow  pink.      Scentless.      New  England  southward.  Summer. 

Flowers :  small;  thickly  clustered  in  a  pyramidal  spike.  Calyx:  of  five  se- 
pals. Corolla:  of  five,  rosaceous  petals.  Stamens :  numerous.  Pistils  :  five  to 
eight.  Leaves:  alternate;  small;  ovate;  tootUed  and  downy  underneath. 
Stem  :  erect ;  slender  ;  downy. 

We  are  impressed  by  the  steeple-bush  very  much  as  we  are 
by  the  dainty  beauty  of  the  meadow-sweet.  Its  fleecy  spikes 
lighten  the  low  grounds,  and  we  would  miss  them  sorely  from 
the  bunch  of  late  summer  flowers  that  we  gather  shortly  before 
the  great  family  of  composites  invades  the  fields.  According 
to  the  custom  of  perennial  herbs,  these  plants  die  down  to  the 
ground  every  year  at  the  approach  of  frost.  The  live  stem 
with  its  buds  hovers  near  the  root  and  sends  up  the  young 
shoots  of  the  next  year. 

SMALLER  FORGET=ME-NOT. 

Myosbtis  Idxa, 

FAMILY         COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Borage.       Pale  blue.        Scentless,       J'rom  the  north  to  Virginia  May-July. 

and  Tennessee. 

Flowers  :  small ;  growing  in  a  raceme.     Calyx  :  five-lobed ;  hairy.    Corolla  : 
salver-shaped;  five-cleft.    Stamens:  five;  included.     Pistil:    one;  slender. 
Leaves :  alternate  ;  oblong ;  sessile ;  hairy.    Stem  :  leafy ;  slender- 
Perhaps  the  prettiest  legend  about  the  little  forget-me-not  is 
that  of  the  Persians. 


PLATE  XLI.     CHOKE-CHERRY.    Prunus  Virgimana. 
(89) 


90  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

One  day  an  angel  that  had  fallen  from  grace  stood  weeping 
outside  the  door  of  Paradise.  His  fault  had  been  that  he  loved 
a  daughter  of  earth  as  she  sat  by  the  bank  of  a  stream  arrang- 
ing forget-me-nots  in  her  hair  ;  and  not  until  she  whom  he 
loved  had  sown  the  blossoms  all  over  the  earth,  could  his  fault 
be  forgiven. 

He  returned  to  her,  and  together  they  went  planting  the 
flowers  ;  nor  did  they  cease  their  labour  until  the  task  was  ac- 
complished.. Then  they  entered  Paradise;  the  woman  not 
tasting  of  death,^ 

BLUEBELLS.    VIRGINIA  CO WSILP.    LUNGWORT. 

Merlihisia    Virginica, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Borage,  Light  blue.  Scentless.         New  York  southward  Aprils  May. 

and  westward. 

Flowers:  hanging  from  slender  pedicels  in  a  raceme-like  cluster.  Calyx: 
small ;  five-cleft.  Corolla:  tubular;  salver-shaped  ,  the  lobes  scarcely  divided. 
Stafnens  :  five.    Pistil :  one.    Leaves  :  large  ;  obovate.     Stei?i  :  smooth. 

The  Mertensia  Virginica  has  quite  the  air  of  belonging  to  one 
of  the  first  families.  Its  colour  is  so  pure  and  its  form  so  perfect 
thaf^it  is  ever  a  delight  to  the  eye  of  the  artist.  By  its  droop 
ing  poise  it  cleverly  protects  its  pollen  from  the  rain  and  dew. 

COnnON  HAREBELL. 

Ca7npdmila  rotundifblia, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Belljlower.  Blue.  Scentless.        Mostly  north  and  west.  June^July. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  a  raceme  on  slender  flower-stalks.  Calyx :  tubular ; 
with  five,  narrow,  spiked  lobes  Corolla  :  campanulate,  or  bell-shaped ;  five- 
lobed.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one  with  style  that  protrudes  like  a  miniature 
clapper.  Leaves :  those  from  the  base  on  slender  petioles,  cordate,  or  rounded 
as  tne  name  implies  ;  those  on  the  stern,  almost  linear.  Stem  :  five  to  twelve 
inches  high;  spreading;  slender;  smooth. 

The. harebell  has  been  the  sweetheart  of  many  a  bard.  They 
have  loved  and  celebrated  its  tall  gracefulness,  its  exquisite 
fairness,  and  its  brilliant  blue,  of  a  purity  that  must  have 
dropped  from  a  summer  sky.    It  has  all  the  fragile,  bright 


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PLATE  XLll.     TALL  WILD   BELLFLOWER.      Campannla  Amcyicaua. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  91 

beauty  of  a  plant  of  cold,  crisp  climates,  and  is  said  to  be  iden- 
tical with  the  bluebell  of  Scotland.  It  is  a  native  of  North 
America,  Europe  and  Asia,  and  circles  the  northern  pole. 
With  us  it  prefers  to  hang  from  a  ledge  of  rocks  over  som^ 
river,  where  it  may  breath  the  cooling  vapours  of  the  water. 

TALL  WILD  BELLFLOWEJR.  {Plate  XZ/I.) 

Campanula  A?nerlcana, 

FAMILY  QOLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Belljlower.        Light  blue,        Sce/ftless.        Mostly  north  and  luest.  June,  July. 

Flcnuers :  borne  thickly  in  a  long  spike.  Calyx:  tubular;  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  almost  wheel-shaped;  of  five  pointed  petals.  Stamens  :  five.  Pistil : 
one  with  a  long  curved  style.  Leaves:  alternate  ;  lanceolate  ;  finely  toothed. 
JStem  :  three  to  six  feet  high ;  erect. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  loveliest  of  our  native  plants  is  the  tall 
wild  bellflower.  There  is  a  vigour  attached  to  its  clinging 
beauty  that  is  very  attractive.  The  coloured  illustrations  will 
bring  it  clearly  to  the  ininds  of  those  to  whom  it  is  not  already 
familiar, 

COLORADO  SHOOTING-STAR.    AMERICAN  COWSLIP. 

{Plate  XLIII) 
Dodecatheoii  MeMia  frtgidum, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE       ^       TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Primrose,     Lilac,  or. pink  tertm-      Spicy,  like    'The  Rocky  mountains,       A/>ril^  May. 
nating  in  yellow.  cinnamon. 

Flowers :  two  to  twenty  growing  in  a  terminal  umbel,  and  on  pedicels  that 
curve  within  the  flower.  Calyx :  reflected;  five-parted.  Corolla  :  of  five  rather 
linear  divisions ;  strongly  reflexed.  Stamens  :  commonly  five,  the  linear  anthers 
forming  a  cone.  Pistil:  one,  protruding.  Leaves:  from  the  root;  obovate  to 
lanceolate.    Scape :  three  to  fifteen  inches  high ;  erect. 

Those  that  write  concerning  the  primroses  must  acknowledge 
that  this  one  is  the  most  pert,  the  most  saucy  looking,  and  the 
most  attractive  of  them  all.  Its  common  name  of  shooting- 
star  appears  well  adapted  to  it ;  and  although  it  is  not  a  widely- 
known  plant,  it  is  one  that  once  seen  seldom  passes  out  of  the 
remembrance.  There  are  several  species  of  Dodecatheon, 
which  vary  greatly.  The  one  growing  in  the  Central  States  is 
known  as  Pride  of  Ohio, 


PLATE  XLIII.    COLORADO  SHOOTING-STAR.   Dodecaiheon  Meadia  fHgidum, 

<92) 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

Primrosi, 

Yellow^  marked  with 

Scentless. 

Common  north 

brownish  red. 

and  south. 

PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  93 


BULB-BEARINQ  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lyswtachia  terristris. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 
June, July. 

Flowers :  growing  on  long  pedicels  in  a  terminal,  leafy  raceme.  Calyx :  of 
five,  or  six  sepals.  Corolla  :  wheel-shaped;  of  five  oblong  segments.  Stamens ., 
four  or  five,  with  miited  filaments.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves :  abundant;  opposite  ,' 
long;  pointed  at  each  end;  darkly  spotted.     Stem:  upright;  leafy;  branching' 

This  bright,  cheery  plant,  with  others  of  its  family,  has  the 
reputation  of  having  a  peace-loving  heart.  Ancient  supersti- 
tion that  clings  about  it  tells  us  it  is  particularly  disposed  to 
exercise  its  soothing  influence  upon  cattle  that  are  quarrelling, 
when  a  spray  of  it  laid  upon  their  yokes  will  cause  them  to  be- 
come as  gentle  as  the  proverbial  lamb.  But  unless  the  farmer 
has,  in  case  of  emergency,  provided  himself  with  this  loosestrife, 
we  may  imagine  he  would  have  some  difficulty  in  guiding  his 
fractious  beasts  to  search  for  it  by  the  brooks,  or  in  the  wet 
meadows  that  lead  to  the  marshes. 


FRINGED  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Steironema  ciltdtmn. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Primrose. 

Yellow,  with  dull  red 

Scentless. 

Mostly  south 

June,  July. 

centre. 

and  west. 

F7owgrs :  3.x\\la.Ty ;  on  long  peduncles.  Calyx:  of  five  green  sepals,  sharply 
pointed.  Or^/Az.*  wheel-shaped  ;  of  five  segments.  Stamens  :  ^ve.  Pistil: 
one.  Leaves:  opposite;  lanceolate;  wavy  on  the  edges.  Sle?n  :  two  to  four 
feet  high;  upright;  rather  rough. 

During  the  summer  these  pretty  flowers  may  be  found  in  the 
moist  soil  of  thickets.  It  is  owing  to  a  close  resemblance  to 
the  loosestrifes  that  their  English  name  has  been  bestowed  on 
them. 

S,  lanceoldtuniy  or  lance-leaved  loosestrife,  is  a  similar  species. 
Its  leaves  are  on  petioles,  or  almost  sessile,  and  from  their  axils 
arise  the  slender  stalks  that  bear  the'  flowers. 


94  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

SMALL  WILLOW  HERB. 

Epilbbiimi  colonUwn, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Evening^ primrose.         Pale  viagetita.  Scentless.  General.  Summer. 

Flowers  :  small ;  slightly  nodding ;  growing  in  terminal  corymbs.  Calyx  :  of 
four  parted  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  four  spreading  petals  notched  at  the  apex. 
Slamens  :  eight.  Pistil :  one;  stigma,  club-shaped.  Seeds  :  tufted  with  brown 
hairs.  Leaves  :  opposite  ;  lanceolate  ;  toothed  and  veined  with  purple.  Slem  : 
tall;  rather  smooth. 

We  can  hardly  venture  into  any  meadow  during  the  summer 
that  is  moist  enough  to  wet  our  feet  without  seeing  this  little 
herb.  Its  relative,  the  great  willow  herb,  is  found  mostly  along 
the  roadsides  and  on  clearings  that  have  been  burned  over. 

HAIRY  WILLOW  HERB. 

Epilbbium  hirshtum. 

The  hairiness  of  this  plant  serves  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
preceding  one.  It  also  grows  to  a  greater  height  and  its  petals 
area  lovely,  rosy  pink.  The  uncultivated,  moist  soil  of  waste 
places  is  its  favourite  dwelling  place. 

COMMON  FRINGE  TREE. 

Chi07idnihus  Virginica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Olive,  Snow  white.  Scentless.        New  Jersey  and  South-  May,  June. 

em  Penn.  southward. 

Flo7vers  :  growing  in  loose  panicles.  Calyx  :  very  small ;  tubular.  Corolla  : 
of  four  petals,  three  quarters  of  an  inch  long,  which  barely  unite  at  the  base. 
Stamens  :  two  ;  very  short.  Pistil :  one.  Fruit :  bluish  purple  ;  glaucous.  Leaves: 
large  ;  ovate  ;  the  lower  part  downy.     A  shrub,  or  low  branching  tree. 

The  pure  loveliness  of  this  shrub  is  one  of  the  things  that 
must  be  seen  and  come  into  close  contact  with  before  it  can  be 
fully  appreciated.  When  along  the  river  banks  the  cool 
zephyrs  play  through  its  snow-white,  slender  petals  and  we  sit 
down  beside  it  ;  we  long  for  its  soft,  gentle  swaying  never  to 
cease,  and  think  lovingly  of  our  castles  in  the  air  and  the  fairy 
tales  that  enchanted  us  in  childhood. 


PLATE  XLIV.     TRUMPET  FLOWER.      Tecoma  radicans. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  9^ 

TRUMPET=FLOWER.    TRUMPET-CREEPER. 

{Plate  XLIV.) 
Tecoina  radicans. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Bignonia.         Ora?ige,yeiiow  and        Scentless.         Ne7v  Jersey  south-  July,  August, 

scarlet.  avard  and  westwc-d. 

Flmuers :  very  showy;  axillary;  growing  in  terminal  corymbs.  Calyx  :  five- 
toothed.  Corolla :  two  and  a  half  inches  long;  trumpet  shaped  with  five  lobes, 
veined  on  the  inside.  Sta?nens  :  four,  in  pairs,  two  shorter  than  the  others. 
Pistil :  owt.  Leaves:  odd-pinnate;  opposite;  with  four  or  five  pairs  of  ovate 
pointed,  toothed  leaflets.  Stem  :  woody,  climbing  by  aerial  rootlets.  Fod  : 
long,  a  little  flattened. 

To  watch  the  way  in  which  this  bold  vine  climbs  by  means  of 
the  aerial  rootlets  that  spring  from  the  stem,  is  a  good  lesson  in 
moral  philosophy.  It  appears  to  take  vigourous  delight  in  its 
upward  course,  and  in  showing  us  its  belief  in  the  survival  of 
the  fittest,  by  crushing  out  any  weaker  plant  that  comes  within 
its  reach.  We  almost  take  a  step  backward  to  view  it  from  a 
safer  distance. 

Its  abundant  growth  and  the  difficulty  in  extirpating  it  makes 
it  a  rather  troublesome  weed  in  some  of  the  western  states.  In 
the  east  it  is  cultivated  as  one  of  our  most  beautiful  climbers. 

WILD  RED=OSIER  DOGWOOD. 

Corfitts  stolonifera. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Dogwood.  White.  Scentless.  General.  June,  July. 

Flozuers  :  small ;  growing  in  spreading  cymes.  Calyx  :  tiny ;  four-toothed. 
Corolla:  of  four  oblong  petals.  Stamens:  four.  Pistil:  one.  Friiit :  nearly 
white.  Leaves :  ovate,  with  rounded  bases,  whitish  beneath  ;  rough.  A 
shrub  of  stocky  growth;  conspicuous  from  its  bright  red  branches. 

PANICLED  CORNEL,  OR  DOGWOOD. 

Cdrims  cafididisszma. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE                    TIME  OF  BLOOM 

'dogwood. 

White. 

Scentless. 

Maine  to  North              Ju7ie,Jjily. 
Carolina  and  westward. 

Flowers :  small ;  growing  in  loose  cymes.  Calyx,  Corolla,  Stamens,  and 
Pistil :  as  in  the  preceding  species.  Fruit:  white.  Leaves  :  lanceolate,  the  un- 
der part  white.  A  shrub  about  six  or  eight  feet  high  with  smooth  branches, 
the  colour  of  ashes. 

Both  of  these  dogwoods  are  conspicuous  among  the  shrubbery 


96  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

that  borders  streams  and  damp  thickets  ;  and  we  sometimes 
find  the  C.  stoloiiifera  also  sauntering  towards  the  swamps  in  its 
desire  to  quench  its  thirst  for  moisture.  The  little  flowers  are 
very  similar  in  arrangement  to  those  of  C,  Florida^  page  i6o, 
Plate  LXXXI.  We  cannot  but  lament,  however,  that  they  are 
without  the  petal-like  involucre  that  is  the  beautiful  feature  of 
the  dogwood  family. 

BULBOUS  CRESS. 

Cardamhie  biilbbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.  White  or  pinkish.  Scentless.  Mostly  tiorth.  Aprils  May. 

Flowers :  rather  large  ;  growing  in  terminal  clusters.  Calyx  :  of  four  spread- 
ing sepals  that  fall  early.  Corolla  :  of  four  cruciferous  petals.  Sta?nens  :  six, 
of  which  two  are  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil :  owe.  Pod:  flat;  lanceolate. 
Leaves  :  roundish  ;  cordate  ;  becoming  ovate,  or  lanceolate  as  they  ascend  the 
stem  ;  toothed.     Stem  :  erect ;  slender.     Rootstock  :  tuberous. 

This  is  perhaps  the  prettiest  of  our  cresses.  It  has  an  agree- 
able bitter  taste  which  appeals  to  us  as  being  particularly  re- 
freshing when  we  find  it  beside  the  trickling,  sparkling  stream 
that  it  loves  so  well. 

CUT-LEAVED  TOOTHWORT.     PEPPER-ROOT. 

Denta7-ia  lacitiiata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.         White  or  pinkish        Scentless.        Ne^v  England  south-  April-June, 

purple.  ward  and  westward. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx  :  of  four  sepals  that  fall 
early.  Corolla:  of  four  cruciferous  petals.  Stameits :  six,  of  which  two  are 
shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil:  one.  /'^a';  lance-shaped.  Leaves:  in  whorls 
of  threes  ;  each  leaf  being  divided  into  linear,  gash-toothed  divisions.  Stem  : 
erect;  simple.     Rootstock:  tuberous. 

The  cut-leaved  toothwort  is  a  near  relative  of  the  toothwort 
of  the  rich  woods.  Its  taste  for  water,  however,  has  induced  it 
to  stray  from  the  family  environment  to  the  banks  of  streams. 
Here,  no  doubt,  it  has  further  offended  its  family  by  putting  on 
style,  or,  to  be  explicit,  by  adding  another  leaf  to  its  stem.  And 
those  of  the  woods  cannot  cry  out  against  it,  for  its  rootstock  is 
quite  as  edible  as  their  own. 


.^V.     BUTTON-BUSH.     Ccphalanthus  occidcntalis. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  97 

DWARF  CASSANDRA.     LEATHER=LEAF. 

Chamccddphne  calycidata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  White.  Scentless.       Throughout  the  tniddle  states.  Early  spring. 

Flowers :  small ;  growing  in  one-sided,  open  leafy  racemes.  Ca/yx :  of 
five  sepals,  having  a  pair  of  bracts  at  the  base.  Corolla  :  cylinder-shaped 
with  a  five-lobed  border.  Stamens  :  ten.  I'/stil ;  one.  Leaves :  oblong ;  in 
texture  like  leather  ;  glossy  above  and  dull  beneath.  An  evergreen,  branching 
shrub  ;  two  to  four  feet  high. 

The  English  name  of  these  plants  is  suggestive  of  the  texture 
of  the  leaves,  which  is  like  leather.  We  find  them  in  swamps 
and  bogs  as  well  as  in  the  moist  soil  of  low  meadows. 

BUTTON-BUSH.     RIVER-BUSH.     GLOBE  FLOWER. 

HON  EYEBALLS,     (/"/ale  XLV.) 

Cephdlanth us  occtde7italis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Madder,  White.  Very  fragrant.  General.  July,  August. 

Flowers  :  small ;  clustered  in  a  spherical  head.  Calyx  :  four-lobed.  Corolla  : 
tubular  ;  four-lobed  ;  within  hairy.  Stamens  :  four.  Pistil :  one,  protruding, 
with  a  button-like  stigma.  Leaves  ;  opposite,  or  whorled  in  threes  ;  oval ;  on 
petioles  ;  stipules  between  the  leaves.  A  shrub  five  to  ten  feet  high,  with 
rough,  grey  bark. 

The  button-bush  is  like  the  children  that  cannot  believe  they 
are  by  the  water  until  they  have  taken  off  their  shoes  and 
stockings  and  gone  in  paddling.  It  has  usually  its  lowest 
stems  and  roots  immersed  in  some  brook  or  river  ;  and  we  are 
invariably  delighted  with  the  curious,  quaint  effect  of  its  bloom. 
The  flower-heads  are  like  little  pin-cushions  full  of  pins.  Their 
perfect  symmetry  and  the  beauty  of  each  flower  when  examined 
separately  makes  them  a  pleasing  study. 

BLUETS.     QUAKER  LADIES.     {Plate  XL  VI) 

Houstbnia  c<xrulea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Madder.        Blue.,  with  yellow        Scentless.        Nova  Scotia  to  Michigan     May,  June. 
centre.  and  southward. 

Flowers:  terminal;  solitary.  Calyx:  four-cleft.  Corolla:  salver-shaped, 
with  four  oval,  pointed  lobes.     Stamens:   four.     /'/j//7;  one  ;  style  compound. 


98  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

Leaves :  opposite  ;  sessile  ;  oblong  ;  entire  ;  glabrous,     S^em  :   erect ;  branch- 
ing ;  glabrous. 

There  are  no  paupers  among  the  Quakers  ;  and  surely  this 
sameness  of  principle  must  have  suggested  the  common  name 
of  these  little  ladies.  For  to  travel  through  the  moist  meadows 
that  are  aglow  with  their  quaint  faces  and  bright  eyes  suggests 
the  most  lavish  luxury  of  bloom.  In  New  England  and  about 
Trenton,  New  Jersey,  they  are  especially  beautiful.  In  fact, 
during  the  season,  they  gladden  almost  every  spot  that  is  sun- 
shiny and  moist.  Besides  their  sprightly,  crisp  appearance  they 
have  an  added  charm  in  not  closing  up  and  fading  quickly  after 
they  have  been  plucked. 

Under  a  microscope  it  can  be  seen  that  the  flowers  are 
dimorphous,  occurring  in  two  forms.  In  some  blossoms  the 
pistil  is  long  and  the  stamens  short  and  in  others  the  reverse 
is  the  case.  To  effect  fertilization  it  is  necessary  that  the  tall 
pistils  should  receive  the  pollen  from  the  tall  stamens  of  an- 
other flower  ;  and  the  short  pistils,  the  pollen  from  the  short 
stamens.  This  is  one  of  the  very  interesting  guards  against 
self-fertilization. 


PURPLE  SPIKED  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lythrum  Salicaria. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

{.oosestri/e.  Purple.         Scentless.     General  in  middle  states.  Late  summer. 

Flowers:  whorled  in  a  terminal,  wand-like  spike,  tipped  a  little  at  the  end. 
Calyx :  circular,  with  five  to  seven  toothed  points.  Corolla :  of  five,  six  or 
seven  long,  narrow,  petals  ;  slightly  puckered.  Stametis  :  twelve,  in  two  sets  of 
different  lengths.  Pistil :  one ;  varying  in  length  in  the  different  blossoms. 
Leaves:  opposite;  lanceolate;  sessile;  the  lower  ones  heart-shaped  at  base. 
Stem  :  tall ;  smooth. 

Professor  Darwin  wrote  to  Doctor  Gray  about  these  flowers  : 
''  I  am  almost  stark,  staring  mad  over  lythrum.  If  I  can  prove 
what  I  really  believe  it  is  a  grand  case  of  trimorphism,  with 
three  different  pollens  and  three  stigmas.  I  have  fertilized 
above  ninety  flowers,  trying  all  the  eighteen  distinct  crosses 
which  are  possible  within  the  limits  of  this  one  species.     For 


Single        Calyx  and 
Flower.  Fruit. 

PLATE  XLVl.     BLUETS.    Houstonia  coeruUa, 
(99) 


loo  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

the  love  of  Heaven,  have  a  look  at  some  of  your  species  and  if 
you  can  get  me  some  seed,  do." 

Professor  Darwin  did  prove  successfully  what  he  believed. 
In  each  flower  the  two  sets  of  stamens  and  the  pistil  are  of 
different  lengths ;  and  in  order  to  effect  fertilization,  the 
stigma  must  receive  the  pollen  from  stamens  that  are  the  same 
length  as  itself.  As  in  dimorphous  flowers,  this  is  one  of  the 
most  ingenious  devices  to  guard  against  self-fertilization. 

The  plant  is  not  related,  as  its  common  name  would  imply,  to 
the  other  loosestrifes,  which  are  members  of  the  primrose  fam- 
ily. It  is  a  European,  very  lovely  in  appearance,  which  has 
taken  kindly  to  our  wet  soggy  soil. 

CARRION- FLOWER.     CAT-BRIER. 

Smilax  herbacea. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Smilax. 

Greenish^  rvith 
yellow. 

Foul. 

General. 

April,  May. 

Flowers:  small;  imperfect;  growing  in  umbels.  Perianth:  bell-shaped,  of 
six  divisions.  Stamens :  s\x.  /'/j-^//;  one,  with  three  diverging  stigmas.  Frziit : 
a  blue-black  berry ;  glaucous.  Leaves :  almost  round  at  the  base,  pointed  at 
the  apex  ;  nerved.     Stent :  smooth  ;  erect ;  climbing. 

In  the  season  of  its  bloom  the  odour  of  this  plant  serves  to 
identify  it  with  one  of  its  common  names.  As  the  flowers  fall, 
however,  it  becomes  less  obnoxious  and  is  one  of  the  first  to 
foretell  by  its  rich,  changing  colouring  the  approach  of  the  au- 
tumn. Its  near  relative,  S.  rotundifolia,  is  not  so  partial  to 
moist  soil  and  is  well-known  along  the  roadsides  and  fields. 

HEADOW  PARSNIP. 

Thaspiian  bar'binbde. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Parsley.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Northward  to  Mirm.       May^  June. 

South  to  Arkansas. 

Flowers  :  very  small :  growing  in  umbels,  or  compound  umbels.  Leaves :  al- 
ternate ;  twice  or  thrice  compound,  with  long,  narrow,  coarsely  toothed  leaflets. 
Stem  :  tall ;  hollow  ;  with  soft,  fine  hairs  along  the  joints. 

The  parsleys  are  a  family  that  we  should  all  learn  to  know,  if 
for  no  other  reason  than  that  the  root  and  seeds  of  many  of 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  loi 

them  are  extremely  poisonous.  This  is  true  of  the  water-hem- 
lock illustrated  in  Plate  VI.  Again,  we  cannot  avoid  all  of  them 
on  this  account,  as  among  them  they  number  the  vegetables, 
celery,  carrots,  parsnips  and  parsley.  They  are  readily  recog- 
nised as  a  genus  by  their  umbels  and  umbellets  of  minute 
flowers,  compound  leaves,  and  generally  hollow  stems.  In  size 
and  colour  they  are  very  variable. 

A  powerful  microscope  and  a  lifetime  of  patience  is  necessary 
to  study  them  in  the  detail  of  their  individual  parts,  and  many 
of  the  species  can  only  then  be  recognised  by  the  difference  in 
their  fruit  ;  but  they  can  be  broadly  known  according  to  locality. 
Insects  are  necessary  to  them,  as  self-fertilization  is  prevented 
by  the  stigma  developing  some  time  before  the  stamens. 

nOCK  BISHOP-WEED. 

Ptilimnium  capillaceu7n, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Parsley.  White.  Scentless.  Middle  states.  June-October. 

Flowers :  very  small ;  clustered  in  compound  umbels  with  finely  divided 
bracts  underneath.  Leaves :  compound ;  the  divisions  fine  and  threadlike. 
Stem  :  varying  greatly  in  height;  branching;  smooth. 

To  thrive  well  this  plant  is  one  that  requires  the  constant 
washing  of  its  roots  with  water.  We  find  it  by  running  streams, 
in  wet  meadows,  and  sometimes  in  brackish  marshes.  The 
flowers  are  fluffy  and  pretty  ;  but  that  the  bishops  would  ever 
agree  to  the  supposed  likeness  between  the  bracts  and  their 
caps  is  greatly  to  be  doubted. 

SWEET  WHITE  VIOLET.    {Plafe  CXXXV.) 
Vidla  bld7ida. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Violet.         White :  the  lower  petals        Delicately         Northward  from  May. 

veined  with  purple.  fragrant.  the  Alleghanies. 

Flowers :  small ;  terminal ;  solitary  ;  growing  on  a  scape.  Calyx  :  five-eared 
at  the  base.  Corolla  :  of  five  unequal  beardless  petals,  one  being  spurred  at 
the  base.  Stamens  :^\&\  short;  united  about  the  pistil.  Pistil:  one;  short. 
Leaves  :  from  the  root  on  petioles  ;  reniform.     Stem  :  erect ;  not  leafy. 


102  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

Oh,  dearest,  sweetest  little  thing, 
What  message  do  you  bring 
To  us  from  other  lands  than  ours 
And  other  worlds  of  flowers  ? 
We  bend  our  ears  to  listen,  dear, 
Our  hearts  grow  mute  with  fear 
Lest  such  a  dainty,  fairy  sprite 
Should  vanish  from  our  sight. 

It  must  be  a  cold  heart  that  does  not  love  the  sweet  white 
violet.  In  its  turn  it  loves  the  mossy,  moist  places  that  shield 
it  so  carefully  and  from  where  it  sends  out  its  faint  perfume. 


LANCE=LEAVED  VIOLET. 

Viola  lanceolata. 

This  white  violet  has  larger  flowers  than  the  preceding 
species  ;  and  the  lance-shaped  leaves  that  taper  mto  long  peti- 
oles are  the  mark  by  which  it  can  be  distinguished.  The  two 
are  often  found  growing  together  ;  and  belong  to  the  class  of 
so-called  stemless  violets.  These  have  no  true  stems  ;  but  bear 
their  leaves  from  the  root-stock,  and  the  flowers  upon  scapes. 
In  the  late  season,  near  the  root  may  be  found  cleistogamous 
blossoms,  closed  buds  that  never  open,  but  are  within  them- 
selves self-fertilized. 

TALL  riEADOW  RUE.     {Plate  XL  VII) 

Thaliciriun  pol;^ga7num. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  White.  Scentless.         New  England  south-     June^  July  and  August. 

ward  and  westward. 

Flowers :  growing  in  large  compound  panicles.  Calyx :  of  four  to  ten 
petal-like  sepals  that  blow  off  early.  Stamens :  very  numerous  and  giving  a 
ball-like  feathery  effect.  Pistils  :  four  to  fifteen,  mostly  borne  on  different 
plants  than  the  stamens.  Leaves :  alternately  compound  ;  leaflets  numerous, 
small,  rounded,  sometimes  lobed  at  the  top.     Stem  :  tall;  erect;  branching. 

A  tall,  graceful  beauty  that  drinks  of  the  cooling  vapours  be- 
side the  sparkling  streams,  or  rears  itself  in  the  moist  meadows 
where  the  yellow  field  lilies  are  in  bloom.  There  is  a  certain 
luxury  about  the  fleecy  daintiness  of  the  flowers  and  the  growth 


PLATE  XLVll.    TALL  MEADOW  RUE.     Thaliciriim polygamnm. 

(103) 


I04  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

of  the  fine  small  leaves.     The  plant  is  also  an  interesting  study 
from  the  difference  in  the  pistillate  and  staminate  blossoms. 


MONKSHOOD.     WOLFFS  BANE.     FRIAR'S  CAP. 

{Plate  XLVIII.) 
Aconitum  uncznatu7n. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  Blue  purple.  Scentless.  Virginia,  northward  June-September. 

to  New  Jersey. 

Flowers :  growing  on  upcurved  pedicels  in  loose  panicles.  Calyx  :  of  five 
sepals  strangely  fashioned  like  a  monk's  hood.  The  helmet,  one  and  a  half 
inches  long,  broad  and  high,  with  turned-down  vizor.  Corolla :  of  two  small 
petals  that  look  like  chin-tabs.  Pistils:  three  to  five.  Leaves:  on  petioles; 
parted  into  three  to  five  lobes.  Stem  :  slender,  bending  at  the  top.  Root : 
tuberous;  containing  a  virulent  poison. 

We  cannot  grieve  over  the  irregularity  of  feature  of  this 
flower,  as  it  affords  us  an  excellent  study  of  one  that  is  un- 
symmetrical,  and  delights  us  by  the  way  in  which  it  represents 
a  monk's  hood.  Somewhere  we  imagine  it  has  hidden  a  mis- 
chievous face  that  is  longing  to  cast  an  eye  out  at  the  merry 
forbidden  world.  For  we  cannot  believe  much  in  its  piety,  it 
has  had  too  varied  an  experience  and  has  roved  about  in  too 
many  lands. 

In  Norse  mythology,  it  is  credited  with  the  power  of  making 
one  invisible  at  will,  and  is  called  Odin's  helm,  or  Thor's  hat. 
It  was  when  the  Benedictines  invaded  the  domain  of  Thor  that 
it  became  monkshood.  The  Dutch  term  is  friar's  cap  ;  and  in 
Germany  it  belongs  exclusively  to  the  devil,  and  is  called 
devil's  herb.  It  has  been  on  most  intimate  terms  with  all  the 
ancients,  and  witches  have  even  used  it  for  concocting  their 
wicked  spells.  The  Indians  call  it  ativisha,  the  supreme 
poison  ;  and  children,  who  are  really  the  wise-acres  of  the  gen- 
eration, plucked  from  it  its  petals  and  fancy  that  the  remaining 
bloom  and  exposed^  nectaries  resemble  a  car  drawn  by  doves. 
It  is  then  called  Venus's  chariot. 


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PLATE  XLVIll.      MONKSHOOD.     Acom^um  umhmium. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK   A.    STOKES  COMPANY. 

PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  XL IX.     MOCK  APPLE.     MicrampeUs  lobata, 
(105) 


io6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 


NIGHTSHADE.     BITTER  SWEET.     SCARLET  BERRY. 

Solanui7i  dulcainara. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Nightshade.    Purple,  dotted  with  green.     Scentless.    Maine  ivestzvard.    June-September. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  drooping  cymes  on  slender  flower-stalks.  Calyx :  five- 
parted.  Corolla:  wheel-shaped;  five-parted.  Stamens:  five;  protruding; 
Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  small,  egg-shaped,  red  berry.  Leaves:  alternate;  on 
petioles;  the  lower  one  heart-shaped  and  pointed  at  the  apex;  the  upper 
ones  divided  into  three,  rarely  five,  unequal  leaflets,  the  centre,one  long,  slightly 
heart-shaped,  the  other  two  small  and  wing-like  at  base.  Stem  :  three  to  eight 
feet  high;  climbing;  woody;  smooth. 

Seldom  can  a  more  exquisite  study  in  colour  and  outline  be 
found  than  the  berries  of  the  nightshade  as  they  droop  from 
their  zig-zag  peduncles.  They  are  also  among  those  that  can 
boast  of  a  perfect  background.  Their  rich,  fantastically 
shaped  leaves  hover  about  them  much  as  the  night  droops  upon 
and  protects  the  earth.  This,  however,  is  purely  imaginary,  as 
one  is  apt  to  become  when  gazing  at  the  nightshade. 

The  plant  has  been  classed  among  the  moderately  poisonous 
ones  and  owes  the  peculiar  taste  of  its  twigs  and  roots,  first 
bitter  then  sweet,  to  the  presence  of  dulcamarin. 


MOCK   APPLE.     WILD  BALSAM  APPLE.     {Plate  XLIX) 

Micrdmpelis  lobhta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Gourd.  Greenish  white.  Scentless.  Maine  southward  July-September. 

and  westward. 

Flowers :  small;  the  staminate  ones  closely  crowded  in  a  raceme;  the  pistillate 
ones  growing  singly.  Fruit :  large  ;  ovate;  green;  covered  with  slender  spines. 
Leaves  :  three  to  seven  lobed,  the  middle  lobe  longest;  deeply  cordate  at  base; 
serrated;  rough  on  both  sides.  Stem  :  grooved;  branching  ;  climbing  by  tendrils 
that  are  three-forked. 

Unlike  most  of  our  climbers,  we  find  this  one  in  flower  and 
fruit  at  the  same  time.  In  its  wild  state  it  follows  the  rivers, 
but  throughout  the  east  we  find  it  mostly  cultivated  for  orna- 
ment. 


Calyx  and  fruit. 


Vertical  section  of  column.^ 

ovary ^  etc. 


PLATE  L     WHITE-FLOWERED  SIDALCEA.     Sidalcea  Candida. 

(107) 


io8  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

SMALLER  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT. 

Hypericum  elUpticutn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

St-John's-wort.         Pale  yellow .        Scentless.        Mostly  north  and  west.      Midsummer. 

Flinvers :  not  many  ;  growing  in  a  cyme.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  : 
of  five  petals.  Stamens  :  numerous.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  elliptical  ;  clasp- 
ing at  the  base;  thin.    Slem  :  simple,  not  very  high. 

Hypericum  miitilum. 
Is  another  of  the  smaller  St.  John's-worts  which  is  found 
everywhere  in  low,  moist  ground.  It  is  especially  to  be  noticed 
because  of  its  stamens,  from  five  to  twelve,  being  so  much 
fewer  than  those  of  other  members  of  the  genus.  H.  adpressum 
and  H.  maculatum  are  also  varieties  that  thrive  best  in  moist 
soil.     H.  prolificum,  Plate  CXXIII. 

WHITE-FLOWERED  SIDALCEA.     (Plate  L.) 

Siddlcea  Candida. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mallo7u.         White  or  cream.         Scentless.         Colorado  southward.         Summer  and  early 

autumn. 

Flowers:  growing  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx:  of  five  ovate  sepals; 
bristly  on  the  outside.  Corolla:  of  five  obcordate  petals.  Stamens:  numer- 
ous, capitate  at  the  top  of  the  style.  Style  and  ovary  bristly  on  the  outside. 
Fruit:  flat,  depressed.  Leaves:  alternate  ;  the  upper  leaves  three,  five,  or 
seven-parted,  with  entire,  lanceolate  segments  ;  the  lower  ones  seven-parted, 
with  segments  coarsely  three  and  five  toothed.     Stem  :  erect. 

Following  the  water-courses  in  the  southern  and  Rocky 
mountains  we  find  this  pretty  member  of  the  mallow  family. 
Its  numerous  stamens  uniting  into  a  tube  serve  readily  to  place 
it,  although  it  is  without  the  involucre  that  is  commonly  as- 
sociated with  this  family. 

BLUE=EYED  HARY.     INNOCENCE. 

Colli?isia  verna. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.     Blue  and  white.     Scentless.     Western  New  York   southward    Early  spring. 

and  westward. 

Floivers :  growing  on  long  slender  peduncles  that  are  whorled  in  the  axils 
of  the  upper  leaves.     Calyx :  five-cleft.     Corolla  :  tubular  ;  deeply  two-lipped  ; 


V, 


PLATE  LI.     SCARLET  MONKEY-FLOWER.     Mimulus  cardinalis. 

COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMSRICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL 


109 


the  upper  lip  two-cleft  and  blue  ;  the  lower  lip  three-cleft  and  white  ;  the 
middle  lobe  folded  like  a  pocket  and  enclosing  the  stamens  and  style. 
Stame?is :  four.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  opposite;  ovate;  clasping  by  a 
heart-shaped  base  as  they  ascend  the  stem.     Stem  :  erect ;  branching. 

The  name  of  blue-eyed  Mary  harmonizes  well  with  her  sweet 
personality  ;  although  in  her  blue  eye  there  is  a  quiet  gleam 
that  makes  us  fancy  she  is  neither  so  meek  nor  so  innocent  as 
she  would  have  us  believe.  She  is  rather  a  stay-at-home,  and 
unless  we  persuade  her  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  she  will 
ever  spread  herself  over  the  moist  meadows  of  the  eastern 
states  as  she  does  now  over  those  of  the  west  and  south. 


MONKEY=FLOWER. 

Mimulus  ring  ens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.     Pinkish.,  deep  violet.     Scentless.     Eastern  and  tniddle  states.    July^  A  ugust. 

Flowers:  solitary;  axillary;  hanging  from  slender  peduncles.  Calyx:  of 
five-toothed  sepals.  Corolla:  tubular;  the  upper  lip  divided  into  two  recurved 
lobes;  the  lower  ones  into  three  spreading  lobes.  Stamens:  four.  Pistil: 
one.  Leaves  :  opposite  ;  lanceolate  ;  sessile  ;  toothed.  Stem  :  four-angled  ; 
erect ;  very  slender. 

Mimitlus  is  the  Latin  for  a  little  buffoon  and  rmgens  means 
showing  the  teeth.  Hardly  a  more  appropriate  name  could 
have  been  chosen  for  this  plant,  which  vexes  and  charms  us 
simultaneously  by  its  inanimate  drollery.  Its  pert  little  face 
has  a  look  of  intelligent  mockery  and  its  manners  are  very 
bad.  In  the  late  summer,  when  the  botanist  sallies  forth  to 
seek  some  new  specimen  that  grows  in  moist  soil,  his  eye 
encounters  the  saucy  face  of  the  M.  ringens.  To  him  it  is  an 
old  friend  ;  he  nods  to  it  and  passes  swiftly  on  to  pursue  a 
gleam  of  deep  purple,  too  deep,  he  fancies,  for  the  monkey 
flower,  that  attracts  him  from  behind  a  thicket.  Eagerly  he 
stoops  to  pluck  some  new  treasure,  and  the  well  known,  grinning 
little  face  peers  up  at  him.  "  They  are  like  the  book  agents," 
he  sighs,  "  I  will  show  them  that  I  am  supplied,"  and  he  places 
one  in  his  buttonhole.  From  low  grasses  a  patch  of  pale  lilac 
next  causes  him  to  turn  out  of  his  direction— pictures   of  long- 


no  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

sought-for  specimens  that  it  may  be,  gladden  his  mind  ;  but  on 
approaching  it  he  finds  the  little  buffoon.  Fooled  again,  he 
laments,  and  the  one  in  his  buttonhole  has  dropped  off  from 
its  stem.     For  all  of  these  are  the  pranks  of  the  monkey-flower. 

CARDINAL  MONKEY=FLOWER.     {Plate  LI) 
Mijnulus  cardinahs. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.  Bright^  brick  red.  Scentless.  West  of  Minnesota.         Su  turner. 

Flowers:  solitary  ;  axillary.  Calyx:  prism-shaped;  five-toothed.  Corolla: 
funnel-formed;  two-lipped.  Stamens:  four.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  opposite; 
clasping:  oblong;  serrated.      Stem:  one  to  two  feet  high  ;  rather  clammy. 

If  possible,  the  M.  cardinalis  is  even  more  impertinent  than 
the  M.  ringens.  It  is  not  quite  so  prankish,  as  its  vermilion 
red  could  not  easily  be  mistaken  for  that  of  any  other  flower  ; 
but  it  has  its  lower  lip  thrust  out  as  though  it  were  making 
faces  at  one.  In  fact,  its  manners  in  this  respect  are  so  bad 
that  we  have  quite  a  mind  to  pry  into  its  up  bringing.  Then 
we  remember  that  it  is  one  of  the  figworts  and  they  are  a  fam- 
ily that  look  as  they  please. 

TURTLE=HEAD.     SNAKE=HEAD.     {Plate  LI  I) 

Chelbne  glabra, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figiuort.  Pinkish,  ivhite.  Scentless.  General.  Late  su7>tn!er. 

Flotvers :  axillary;  growing  in  spike-like  racemes  on  a  leafy  flower-stalk. 
Calyx  :  of  five  overlapping,  green  sepals  with  similar  bract-like  leaves  under- 
neath. Corolla:  two-lipped;  inflated;  slightly  open;  shaped  like  a  turtle's 
head;  the  upper  lip  slightly  notched  at  the  apex;  the  lower  lip  three-cleft  with 
the  centre  division  appearing  like  a  small  tongue;  delicately  bearded  in  the 
throat.  Statnens :  four,  perfect  with  hairy  filaments  and  united  by  woolly  an- 
thers that  when  touched  let  fly  a  misty  pollen.  A  shorter,  sterile  stamen  \i 
also  present.  Z^az^ifj ;  opposite ;  long;  lanceolate;  serrated.  Stem:  smooth; 
square;  branching. 

The  only  thing  that  detracts  from  the  turtle-like  appearance 
of  these  blossoms  is  their  waxy,  pinkish  colouring.  If  they 
had  better  imitated  their  patron  in  this  respect  it  would  have 
been  an  excellent  safeguard,  as  no  one  would  have  ventured  his 
fingers  within   reach    of  their   snappish  little  tongues.     They 


PLATE  Lll.     TURTLE.HEAD      Chelone glabra. 
(Ill) 


112  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

have  also  quite  a  vixenish  look  which  would  lead  one  to  sup- 
pose, in  spite  of  their  pure  whiteness,  that  they  are  rather  fond 
of  having  their  own  way,  and  are  not  too  amiable  in  seeing  that 
their  wishes  secure  attention. 

Ckelone  Lybni.  {Plate  LIII.) 
Is  the  lovely  purple  species  of  turtle-head  of  the  south  which 
blooms  until  the  early  autumn.     The  accompanying  illustration 
will  serve  to  readily  distinguish  it  from  the  C.  glabra. 

HEDQE=HYSSOP.     {Plate  LIV,) 
Gratibla  aurea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figivort.  Golden.  Scentless,  Mostly  east  and  south.  All  suvttiier. 

Flowers :  growing  at  the  end  of,  and  along  the  flower-stalks.  Calyx :  of  five 
sepals  with  a  pair  of  bractlets  underneath.  Corolla  :  tubular  ;  two-lipped;  the 
upper  lip  two-cleft;  the  under  one  three-cleft.  Stametis :  two  only  that  have 
anthers;  included.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  opposite;  small;  linear;  entire. 
Stem  :  leafy. 

It  is  not  until  we  examine  this  little  flower  closely  that  we 
realise  its  two-lipped  formation.  At  a  glance  we  are  rather  in- 
clined to  think  it  funnel-form  with  an  unequally  lobed  border. 
The  plant  is  small  and  insignificant.  It  is  found  mostly  in  wet, 
sometimes  sandy,  soil. 


MEADOW  BEAUTY.     DEER  GRASS.     {Plate  L  F.) 

Rhexia  Virginica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

]\Telasioma.     Magenta  pink.     Scentless.      Common  north.       Summer  and  early  autumn. 

Flowers:  large;  solitary,  or  clustered.  Calyx:  urn-shaped;  four-cleft  and 
turning  dull  red  later  in  the  season.  Stamens  :  eight,  with  long,  graceful,  curv- 
ing anthers.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves :  opposite  ;  lanceolate;  sessile  ;  ribbed;  finely 
toothed  and  hairy.     Stem  :    six  to  twelve  inches  high  ;  square. 

In  beauty  few  of  our  meadow  flowers  can  compare  with  this 
one,  which  is  truly  a  belle  among  all  others.  Perhaps  its  com- 
panions smile  a  little  and  shrug  their  shoulders  at  its  having 
the  same  delicacy  and  grace  of  a  tropical,  carefully  tended 
plant.     But  it  is  one  that  should  never  be  taken  away  from  the 


PLATE  Llll.    TURTLE-HEAD.  CJicIone  Lyoni. 
(113) 


114  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

setting  that  it  has  chosen  for  its  own  loveliness.  It  withers 
and  turns  black  almost  immediately  after  being  plucked.  As 
it  uproots  easily,  it  is  often  the  case  that  those  seeing  it  for  the 
first  time  and  being  overcome  with  delight,  tear  it  up  ruthlessly 
and  carry  great  quantities  of  it  away.  This  thoughtlessness 
can  hardly  be  denounced  too  strongly  ;  and  it  is  on  the  high 
road  to  exterminating  some  of  our  choicest  species. 


LARGE-FLOWERED  MILKWORT.     {Plate  LV) 
Polj^gala  grandiflbra. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkwort.        Rose  purple.  Scentless.  Mostly  south.  Late  summer. 

Flowers  :  clustered  in  long  racemes  on  flower-stalks.  Calyx  :  of  five  very 
unequal  sepals,  three  small  at  the  base  of  the  flower  and  two  rising,  coloured 
and  petal-like,  at  each  side,  appearing  like  little  wings.  Stainetis  :  six  or  eight. 
Pistil :  owQ.     Zi'rt^'6'j;  alternate;  lanceolate.     Stem:     much  branched;  hairy. 

As  these  quaint  little  blossoms  grow  older, — and  one  would 
never  associate  the  idea  of  age  with  them  did  they  not  rebel 
against  it  so  openly, — their  rosy  hue  forsakes  them,  and  they 
turn  rather  greenish.  They  retain,  however,  their  lively,  fly- 
away expression,  which  even  old  Father  Time  is  unable  to 
subdue. 


PURPLE  POLYGALA. 

Polygala  viridescetis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkwort.     Rose  lavender^  white      Scentless.     New  En};land  south  to  Summer. 

or  greenish.  N.  Carolina  a?id  westward. 

Flowers :  growing  in  a  dense  oblong  head,  or  spike.  Calyx  ;_  of  five  unequal 
sepals,  the  two  inner  ones  being  larger  than,  and  coloured  like,  the  petals. 
Corolla:  of  three  united  petals,  the  lower  one  shaped  like  a  keel.  Stamens: 
six,  or  more.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  numerous;  alternate;  linear.  Stem:  four 
to  eight  inches  high;  upright;  leafy;  branched. 

An  odd  little  flower  that  we  all  know  in  the  moist  meadows 
and  by  the  roadsides,  but  which  few  of  us  can  call  by  name. 
Purple  polygala  seems  such  a  pretentious  title  for  so  fragile  a 
blossom.  Eye-spy  would  suit  it  better  as  it  is  always  peeping 
out  from  unexpected  places. 


n-  '  *'■- 


PLATE  LV. 


MEADOW  BEAUTY.     Rhexia  Virginica. 


(  MEADOW 
(  LARGE-FL 


OWERED   MILKWORT.     Polygala  gramlijlora. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRIMTEO    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  LIV.     HEDGE-HYSSOP.     Gratiola  aurea. 
(115) 


ii6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 


SLENDER  DAY  FLOWER.     {Plate  LV I) 

Commelhia  erecta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Spider-djort.  Blue.  Scentless.         Pen?i.  southward  August^  September. 

and  ivestivard. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary  ;  irregular ;  growing  from  an  upper  spathe-like 
leaf.  Cc7lvx :  unequal;  the  larger  sepals  being  united.  Corolla:  of  three  un- 
equal petals  ;  one  very  inconspicuous.  Perfect  stamens  :  three  ;  one  incurved 
with  large  anther.  Sterile  stainens  :  three;  small.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  al- 
ternate :  lanceolate  ;  clasping.     Stem  :  erect ;  leafy. 

In  the  generic  name  of  the  day  flowers,  Linnaeus  has  per- 
petrated a  scathing  invective  on  all  that  are  so  unwise  as  to  be 
indifferent  to  the  claims  of  botany.  Of  the  three  Commelyn 
brothers,  who  were  Dutch  botanists,  two  were  very  scientific 
and  published  works  on  the  subject.  They  are  designated  by 
the  two  large  petals  of  the  flowers.  The  third  brother  was  less 
studious  and  published  nothing.  It  has  been  his  fate  to  be  ever 
afterwards  associated  with  the  small,  insignificant  petal. 


COMMON  DAY  FLOWER. 

Commelhia  Virginica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Spiderivort.  Blue.  Scentless.  New  York  to  Florida.  Summer. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary  ;  irregular ;  growing  from  an  upper  spathe-like 
leaf.  Calyx  :  unequal ;  the  larger  sepals  being  united.  Corolla  :  of  three  un- 
equal petals  ;  one  very  inconspicuous.  Stamens :  six  ;  both  sterile  and  fertile  ; 
three  of  which  project  beyond  the  petals.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  lanceolate  ;  con- 
tracted at  the  base  ;  becoming  spathe-like  as  they  approach  the  flower.  Stem  : 
branching  ;  smooth.    Juice  :  mucilaginous. 

The  day  flower  is  exactly  what  one  would  suppose  to  be  a 
happy,  innocent  blossom.  Its  blue  is  so  pure  and  it  remains 
with  us  for  such  a  short  time  that  it  is  not  affected  by  the  levity 
and  frivolity  of  the  world.  For  just  one  day  it  opens  its  bright 
countenance  to  the  sunshine,  when  its  work  in  life  is  done  and 
its  petals  most  curiously  melt  into  a  sort  of  jelly,  where  we  can 
no  longer  follow  their  doings. 


PLATE  LVI,     SLENDER  DAY  FLOWER.     Coinmelina  erecta. 
(117) 


ii8  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 


SPIDERWORT.     {Plate  LVII) 

Tradescdntia  montana. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Spiderwort.         Blue,  iviik  orang;e-         Scentless.  South  and  luest.  May-A  ugust. 

yellow  anthers. 

Flowers:  growing  in  a  loose  umbel  at  the  end  of  the  flower-stalks.  Calyx : 
of  three  sepals.  Corolla:  of  three,  rounded,  irregular  petals  ;  the  odd  one  very 
small.  Stamens:  six;  the  filaments  prettily  bearded;  anthers  conspicuous. 
Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  opposite;  lanceolate  to  linear ;  clasping.  Ste??i :  erect; 
fleshy;  mucilaginous. 

The  spiderwort  is  a  fair  blue  flower,  and  its  golden  anthers 
have  such  a  lively  expression  that  we  are  constantly  expect- 
ing them  to  say  something  funny  to  us  ;  but  they  never  do. 
Perhaps  they  have  not  the  time,  as  like  the  day  flower  they  live 
but  for  a  single  day. 

Just  before  the  recurved  buds  in  the  umbels  make  up  their 
minds  to  bloom,  they  erect  themselves  and  remain  in  that  posi- 
tion until  their  petals  have  faded,  when  they  bend  down  again 
and  the  seeds  mature.  Under  a  microscope  the  jointed  hairs 
of  the  stamens  and  the  miraculously  attached  anthers  reveal  a 
world  of  unexpected  and  interesting  beauty. 

CRANBERRY  TREE.  WILD  GUELDER=ROSE. 

{Plate  CXXXVI,  page  259.) 
Vibiirnuju  Optilns. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Honeysuckle.  White.  Scentless.  New  England  westward.  Spring. 

Flowers  :  fertile  flowers,  with  parts  arranged  in  fives  and  clustered  in  a  cyme  ; 
neuter  flowers  with  large  flat  corollas  that  grow  in  a  border  about  the  others. 
Fi'uit :  juicy,  acid  ;  often  used  as  a  substitute  for  cranberries.  Leaves:  three 
to  five  lobed;  pointed;  netted-veined  ;  toothed;  with  two  glands  at  the  sum- 
mit of  the  petiole.     A  shrub  with  greyish,  smooth  bark. 

The  primary  law  of  this  viburnum  household  is  to  keep  things 
separate.  The  neutral  flowers  which  are  arranged  about  the 
fertile  ones  of  the  centre  are  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  the 
bee's  eye.  To  look  pretty  and  to  be  seen  is  their  only  care  in 
life.  It  seems  as  though  the  unattractive  little  fertile  flowers 
had  begged  them  to  play  this  role  for  them,  as  they  themselves 
are  busy  with  the  weight  of    reproducing   their    species    upon 


r\A 


PLATE  LVII.     SPIDERWORT.     Tradescantia  montana. 
("9) 


I20  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

their  shoulders.  In  cultivation  they  resign  this  burden  into  the 
hands  of  the  gardener,  and  the  whole  cyme  becomes  composed 
of  neuter  flowers.  It  is  then  known  as  the  snowball  tree,  or 
the  guelder  rose.   V.  Alnifolio,  Plate  XCIX. 

ELDER.  ELDERBERRY. 

Sambiiciis  CcDiadmsis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Honeysuckle.  White.  Sweety  like  honey.  General.  June.,  July. 

Flozvers:  minute  ;  growing  in  large  flat  cymes.  Calyx:  tubular,  with  small 
teeth.  Corolla:  urn-shaped;  five-lobed.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one,  with 
three  stigmas.  Fruit :  a  purple  berry,  juicy  with  the  flavour  of  wine.  Leaves  : 
pinnate;  of  five  to  eleven,  oblong,  or  lanceolate,  pointed,  serrate  leaflets. 
Stem  :   five  to  ten  feet  high  ;  woody  with  white  pith. 

Our  grandmothers  loved  the  elder,  and  as  religiously  as  they 
wove  their  linsey  woolseys  and  worked  their  samplers  they 
made  elderberry  wine.  Probably  they  found  it,  as  we  do,  ex- 
tremely good  to  the  taste,  and  it  is  besides  supposed  to  possess 
a  considerable  amount  of  virtue.  Along  streams  and  in  moist 
soil  by  the  roadsides  the  bloom  and  berries  of  the  plant  are 
very  noticeable.  Every  country  child  knows  the  elder,  and 
little  boys  are  on  most  friendly  terms  with  it.  They  push  out 
the  white  pith  from  the  stems,  light  the  ends,  and  initiate  them- 
selves into  the  mysteries  of  that  more  soothing  weed  which  they 
hope  to  know  later. 

JEWEL=WEED.     TOUCH=nE=NOT.     {Plate  LVIIi:) 

I  Dip  (it  tens  bifiora. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Jeivel-weed.     Orange  yello^v  spotted  zuith     Scentless.     Coininon  south-  Sumtncr. 

reddish  brown.  ward. 

Flozvers :  clustered  ;  axillary ;  nodding  from  thread-like  flower-stalks.  Calyx : 
of  four  petal-like,  unequal  sepals  ;  the  larger  one  extending  backwards  into  a 
sac  which  tapers  into  a  little  spur.  Corolla  :  of  two  petals  that  are  two-lobed. 
Stamens:  five  ;  cohering  about  the  ovary.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  alternate;  on 
petioles ;  ovate  ;  smooth  and  serrated.     Stems :  much  branched  ;  smooth  ;  tender. 

The  jewel-weed  and  a  bright  running  stream  have  come  to  be 
about  as  closely  associated  in  the  mind  as  the  dear  old  white 
horse  and  the  red-haired  girl.     Now  there  is  no  doubt  whatever 


PLATE   LVIII.     JEWEL-WEED.     Impaiiens  bifiora. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  121 

but  that  they  do  at  times  appear  singly,  only  the  chances  are 
all  in  favour  of  finding  them  together.  Probably  they  are 
linked  by  some  bond  of  sympathy  far  too  subtle  for  the  percep- 
tions of  common-place  mortals.  The  flower  is  more  beautiful 
than  many  of  our  choicest  exotics  ;  and  the  gracefulness  of  its 
growth  cannot  be  exceeded.  Early  and  late  its  leaves  are  hung 
with  dew  drops  as  though  they  and  the  water  were  having  some 
friendly  chat.  The  jewel-like  marking  of  velvet  brown  is  un- 
doubtedly for  the  purpose  of  catching  Master  Bee's  eye,  as  these 
showy  flowers  are  dependent  upon  insects  for  fertilization. 
Their  pollen  falls  long  before  the  stigma  is  ready  to  receive  it. 
The  plant  also  bears  cleistogamous  flowers,  those  inconspicuous 
blossoms  of  the  later  year  that  are  self-fertilized  before  the  bud 
opens. 

The  pods  are  particularly  sensitive  to  the  touch,  and  if 
handled  will  burst  open  and  throw  the  seeds  to  a  considerable 
distance.  To  this  fact  is  due  the  significance  of  the  name 
touch-me-not,  or  11  y  touchez pas^  as  the  French  say. 

Smerinthus  Yenimatus  is  the  name  of  the  moth  hovering 
about  the  flowers  in  the  illustration. 

PALE  JEWEL=WEED. 

Impel  I  tens  aurea. 

This  species  is  more  common  throughout  the  north  than  the 
I.  biflora.  Its  jewel-like  marking  is  very  slight,  and  its  colour 
is  a  pale,  greenish  yellov/.  The  flowers  are  often  an  inch  and  a 
half  long.     Both  species  fade  very  quickly  after  being  plucked. 

CARDINAL  FLOWER,     {riate  LIX) 

Lobelia  cardindlis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lobelia.  Cardinal.  Scentless.  General.  August. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  long,  terminal  racemes  and  favouring  one  side  of  the 
stem.  Calyx:  five-pointed.  Corolla:  a  long  and  narrow  tube  divided  into 
five  irregular  lobes  ;  two  that  are  upright  and  three  that  are  spreading,  or 
drooping.  Stamens:  five  with  red  filaments  united  into  a  tube.  Anl/irrs  : 
bluish  and  slightly  fringed  with  white.     Pistil:  one,  with  a  long  style  and  red 


122  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

stigma.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  on  short  petioles;  lance-oblong  ;  serrated  ;  becom- 
ing bract-like  among  the  flowers.  Stern :  two  to  four  feet  high  ;  erect  ; 
grooved ;    almost  smooth. 

As  the  cardinal  flower  rises  from  the  border  of  some  stream 
it  appears  not  unlike  the  unknown,  red-robed  dignitary  of  the 
Roman  church  after  whom  it  was  named  ;  and  its  bearing  is  no 
less  proud,  we  may  imagine,  than  his  when  about  to  be  conse- 
crated. It  was  of  this  plant  that  a  Frenchman  said  :  "  I  saw 
the  flower,  my  admiration  is  forever." 

The  corolla  is  cunningly  fashioned  to  allow  humming  birds 
to  sip  of  its  nectar,  and  by  the  thoughtfulness  of  Dame  Nature 
the  long,  slender  bill  of  the  humming  bird  is  exactly  made  to 
suit  the  corolla.  The  drooping  of  the  lip  invites  the  bird  to 
search  for  nectar  as  cordially  as  an  open  door  invites  a  guest 
to  step  within.  It  is  not  necessary  to  offer  the  bird  a  seat  or 
platform  to  stand  upon  as  Master  Bee  requires  ;  for  he  poises 
himself  on  the  wing.  Sometimes  roguish,  unprincipled  bees 
steal  the  nectar  from  a  slit  at  the  base  of  the  flower  and  so 
avoid  their  duty  of  carrying  the  pollen  for  fertilization. 

Panicularia  Canadensis  is  the  name  of  the  beautiful  rattle- 
snake grass  which  accompanies  the  illustration. 

GREAT  LOBELIA.     BLUE  CARDINAL  FLOWER. 

Lobelia  syphilitica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lobelia.        Pinkish  purple.  Scentless.  General.  Summer  and  early  autumn. 

Flowers :  growing  closely  in  a  leafy  panicle.  Calyx :  of  five  very  sharply 
pointed  petals.  Corolla  :  tubular  ;  two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  divided  into 
two  pointed  lobes  ;  the  lower  one  three-lobed.  Stamens  :  five  ;  coloured  ; 
united  about  the  pistil  and  apparently  splitting  open  the  tube  of  the  corolla. 
Pistil :  one  ;  curved  ;  stigma  fringed.  Leaves:  alternate  ;  lanceolate  ; 
toothed  ;  the  upper  surface  smooth.  Stem  :  one  to  three  feet  high  ;  erect  ; 
leafy  ;   angular. 

When  by  some  leafy,  shady  brook-side  we  find  this  flower,  it 
appeals  to  us  as  very  striking  and  pretty  ;  and  it  seems  almost 
cruel  to  place  it  by  the  side  of  its  relative,  the  cardinal  flower, 
as  it  must  naturally  pale  greatly  by  comparison.     It  is  a  tall, 


^ 


imm 


^'1£^ 


\ 


PLATE 


LIX.      I 


CARDINAL  FLOWER.     Lobelia  cardinalis. 
RATTLESNAKE  GRASS.     Pcmicularia  Canadensis. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANV 
rSINTEO    IN   AMFRICA 


PLATE  LX.     GREAT  LOBELIA.     Lobelia  syphilitica. 


124  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

hairy  plant,  and  its  blue,  although  fading  to  almost  white,  is 
sufficiently  noticeable  to  attract  the  insects'  attention.  Both  of 
these  flowers  are  cleverly  designed  for  cross-fertilization. 
The  generic  name  lobelia  has  become  so  familiar  to  us  that  we 
use  it  freely  and  are  unconscious  of  its  being  more  difficult  to 
manage  than  the  common  name.  In  this  connection  it  comes 
to  the  mind  to  ask  if  not  all  botanical  names  would  become 
equally  simple  if  we  would  but  put  ourselves  on  closer  terms  of 
intimacy  with  them. 

Z.  spicata  is  also  found  in  moist,  open  places.  Its  stem  is 
high  ;  but  its  flow^ers  are  considerably  smaller  than  those  of  the 
species  described  above. 

ROUND=LEAVED  P50RALEA.     {Plate  LXI.) 

Psoralen  orbicularis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Fulse.  Purplish.  Scentless.  Western  and  southern  states.  Early  summer. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  a  dense,  pyramidal  spike.  Calyx  :  deeply  parted  ;  of 
five,  nearly  equal  teeth  ;  hairy.  Corolla  :  papilionaceous  ;  the  standard  rather 
oblong.  Stamens  :  ten  ;  united  by  their  filaments.  Leaves :  three-foliate  ; 
orbicular  ;    entire  ;    hairy  ;    on  long    peduncles.     Stem  :    prostrate  ;   creeping. 

This  herbaceous  plant,  with  its  creeping  stem,  is  a  native  of 
California.  There  is  a  vigour  and  energy  about  its  growth 
which  is  very  pleasing.  One  also  fancies  that  like  John  Gilpin's 
wife  it  is  blessed  with  a  frugal  mind. 

WILD  MINT. 

Mmtha  Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.         Pijikish  lavender.        Like  pennyroyal.       Mostly  7iorth.         August^  September. 

Flowers :  tiny  ;  growing  in  round  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx  : 
five-toothed.  Corolla  :  tubular  ;  four-lobed  ;  the  upper  lobe  being  larger  and 
cleft  at  the  top.  Stamens:  four;  exserted.  Pistil:  one;  style,  two-Iobed. 
Leaves  :  opposite  ;  ovate-lanceolate,  pointed  at  both  ends  ;  veined  ;  serrated; 
rough  underneath.     Stem  :   four-angled  ;   nearly  erect. 

The  usefulness  of  a  magnifying  glass  is  well  illustrated  by 
the  wild  mint  ;  as  its  two  styles  and  the  tiny  notch  of  one  of  its 
corolla-lobes  are  hardly  perceptible  to  the  naked  eye.     M.  Can- 


PLATE  LXI.     ROUND-LEAVED  PSORALEA.     Psoralea  orbicularis. 

(125) 


126  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

adensis  is  the  only  species  of  the  mint  family  that  is  a  native 
of  the  Eastern  United  States.  It  has  in  common  with  its  nu- 
merous relatives  little  glands  in  the  leaves  in  which  is  hidden  a 
volatile  oil  and  wherein  lies  the  strong  flavour  and  fragrance 
of  the  plants.  It  is  one  of  their  most  attractive  features  and  a 
ready  means  of  identification. 

The  name  Mentha  is  of  mythological  origin.  According  to 
the  story,  a  too  attractive  nymph,  Mintha,  the  daughter  of 
Cocytus,  was  transformed  by  Proserpine,  the  wife  of  Pluto,  into 
these  plants  that  now  bear  her  name. 

OSWEQO=TEA.     BEE  BALM.   {Plate  LXII.) 
Mondj'da  didyma. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.     Brilliant  cardinal.     Pleasantly  fragrant.      Throughout  the  north.     Summer. 

Flowers  :  clustered  in  a  rounded  head.  Calyx  :  five-toothed  ;  reddish  ; 
naked  in  the  throat.  Corolla :  tubular  ;  two-lipped.  Stamens :  two ;  ex- 
serted.  Pistil:  one;  style,  two-lobed,  protruding.  Leaves:  opposite; 
ovate;  on  petioles;  those  nearest  the  flower  reddish  in  colour.  Stems: 
erect  ;   square. 

Some  day  when  the  inclination  prompts  us  to  bend  our  steps 
to  a  leafy,  green  spot  where  perhaps  hides  a  trickling  stream 
we  shall  be  enchanted  by  the  appearance  of  the  bee  balm.  Its 
brilliant  colouring  is  rather  a  surprise,  as  we  are  not  nearly  so 
familiar  with  red  wild  flowers  as  with  those  of  other  shades. 

A  troop  of  children  that  had  gone  for  a  picnic  to  a  spot  in 
their  neighbourhood  called  the  glen,  found  this  flower  and 
twirled  a  wreath  of  it  to  place  upon  the  head  of  a  dark-haired 
little  girl.  When  they  returned  to  the  village  and  the  wreath 
was  laid  aside,  the  children  complained  that  their  playmate  was 
no  longer  pretty.  They  missed  the  magical  effect  of  the  bee 
balm  about  her  head. 

MAD  DOG  SKULLCAP. 

Scutellaria  laterifiora. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Miiit.  Blue.,  or  violet.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  Summer. 

Flo7vers  :  small ;  growing  in  axillary,  one-sided  leafy  racemes  on  spike-like 
branches.   Calyx  :  of  five  pointless  sepals  covered  by  a  little  cap.    Corolla  :  two- 


PLATE  LXII.     OSWEGO-TEA.     Monarda  aidyma. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANy. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL.  127 

Jipped,  with  long  ascending  tube  ;  the  upper  lip  helmet-shaped  and  curving  over 
the  lower  lip,  which  is  riaring  and  indented   at  the  apex/   Stumeus :  four     i, 
pairs  ot  unequal  length.     FistU :  one;  stigma  two-loDcd.     Leaves:  opposite 
lanceolate  ;  toothed.     Stem  :  smooth  and  branching.  opposite  , 

The  family  of  Scutellariae  are  domestic  in  their  tendencies 
and  give  their  best  thoughts  and  attention  to  their  children  • 
for  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  seeds  are  the  children  of 
the  flowers.  On  the  upper  lobe  of  the  calyx  there  is  attached, 
as  though  by  a  little  hinge,  a  sort  of  concave  appendage,  or 
cap.  It  appears  quite  superfluous  when  the  bloom  is  fresh  ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  corolla  fades  and  falls  this  little  cap  closes 
tightly  down  over  the  mouth  of  the  calyx,  and  so  prevents  the 
escape  of  the  seeds.  The  S.  lateriflora,  which  is  quite  a  conse- 
quential little  inhabitant  of  wet  places,  was  at  one  time  con- 
sidered an  unfailing  cure  for  hydrophobia. 

S.  galericidata  is  a  more  handsome  flower  that  is  found  farther 
north.  It  has  single  flowers  which  grow  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.     Plate  CXXVIII  illustrates  the  Scutellaria  of  sandy  soil. 


OBEDIENT  PLANT.  FALSE  DRAGON  HEAD.  {Plate  LXIII) 

Physostegia    Virginuuia . 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.      Pinkish  crimson.      Sce7iiless.      Nezu  York  southward  and  Suvtmar. 

ivestward. 

Flowers  :  growing  closely  in  a  dense  spike  on  axillary  flower-stalks.  Calyx  ; 
bell-shaped,  of  five-toothed  sepals.  Corolla  :  funnel-form ;  inflated  ;  two-lipped, 
the  upper  lip  arched  and  broad;  the  lower  one  of  three  spreading  lobes,  the 
centre  lobe  pale  and  dotted  with  a  deep  colour.  Stnfnefis :  four;  in  pairs. 
Pistil :  one  ;  style  two-lobed.  Leaves  :  opposite;  lanceolate;  serrated.  Stetn  : 
square ;  one  to  four  feet  high  ;  slightly  branched. 

When  a  little  fish  comes  to  the  surface  of  the  water  and 
opens  his  mouth,  his  expression  is  not  unlike  that  of  these 
flowers.  They  have,  however,  none  of  the  darting,  evasive  ten- 
dencies of  the  fish.  The  flower  is  most  docile.  Strangely 
enough,  it  appears  to  be  without  any  elasticity,  and  will  remain 
in  exactly  the  position  in  which  it  is  placed  for  an  indefinite 
time.  From  this  characteristic  the  plant  quite  carries  off  the 
palm  of  obedience  among  the  flowers. 


128  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 


FRINGED  GENTIAN.     (Plate  LXIV.) 
GefituDia  crinita. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Gentian         Briiiia?it  bhie,  or         Scentless.  Mostly  north  and        September,  October, 

■white.  -^e^i- 

Flowers  :  terminal ;  solitary.  Calj^x  :  of  four  unequal,  pointed  sepals.  Co- 
rolla  :  funnel-form  ;  two  inches  broad ;  with  four  rounded  lobes  exquisitely 
fringed  at  the  edges.  Stamens  :  four ;  with  glands  at  the  bases  of  the  filaments. 
Piili/  :  one,  with  two  stigmas.  Leaz'es  :  opposite  ;  lanceolate  ;  clasping ;  sharply 
pointed.     Slem  ;  one  to  two  feet  high. 

Something  preliminary  is  almost  necessary  before  venturing 
to  speak  of  the  fringed  gentian  ;  and  even  then  it  should  be 
done  with  bated  breath,  for  is  it  not  the  flower  that  has  inspired 
poets  and  statesmen  to  such  an  extent  that  they  have  barely 
been  able  to  write  soberly  about  it  ?  And  truly  it  is  a  heavenly 
flower.  But  to  those  that  are  a  bit  worldly  and  have  not  the 
poetical  soul  it  must  always  suggest  that  it  has  been  gowned 
by  nature's  Worth  ;  it  is  so  chaussee  a  ravii-.  The  beautiful 
frmge  is  but  the  latest  conceit  of  fashion  ;  and  the  soft  green  of 
its  calyx,  blending  with  its  incomparable  blue,  is  an  example  of 
the  most  ravishing  taste.  It  is  the  flower  alone,  however,  that 
is  so  pleasing  :  the  leaves  and  the  plant's  manner  of  growth 
are  quite  stiff  and  ungainly. 

The  plant  is  an  annual — that  is,  it  blooms  in  the  first  year  of 
its  growth,  ripens  its  seeds  and  then  completely  dies.  Al- 
though, therefore,  we  have  marked  well  the  spot  where  it  grew 
one  season,  we  may  only  hope  the  next  year  to  use  it  as  a  guide 
by  which  to  trace  the  path  to  where  its  seeds  have  fallen.  At 
night  the  fair  flower  closes. 

CLOSED  GENTIAN.     {Plate  LXV) 

Gent  I  ana  Andreivsii. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Gentian.  Deep  blue.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  Autumn. 

Flowers :  terminal  and  clustered  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx  :  of  four  or 
five-cleft  sepals.  Corolla :  about  an  inch  in  length  ;  closed  at  the  top.  Stamens  : 
four  or  five.  Pistil :  one,  with  two  stigmas.  Leaves :  opposite  ;  lanceolate  and 
enveloping  the  terminal  flowers.     Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high  ;  smooth ;  erect. 

The  closed  gentian  always  appears  as  though  it  had  the  sulks. 


PLATE  LXIII.     OBEDIENT  PLANT.     Physostegia  Virginiana. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  LXV.     CLOSED  GENTIAN.     Gentzana  Andrewsi 

(129) 


I30  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

Its  colour  and  setting  are  lovely,  and  one  cannot  but  fancy  it 
might  open  its  petals  and  be  pleasant  and  chatty  if  it  would. 
But  it  won't  ;  its  mood  is  selfish  and  its  lobes  are  not  fashioned 
in  the  orthodox  way.  Of  course  there  is  a  great  deal  of  theory 
in  its  closed  corolla  ;  it  protects  its  delicate  organs  from  the 
cold  of  the  late  season,  and  all  other  evils  to  which  they  might 
be  exposed.  Happily,  we  can  turn  to  the  fringed  gentian, 
which  is  more  considerate  of  our  feelings.  A  strong  suspicion 
is  afloat  that  if  the  closed  gentian  did  let  out  its  petals  they 
would  not  be  so  beautifully  fringed  as  those  of  its  relative,  and 
this  is  the  reason,  perhaps,  that  it  is  so  sulky. 

5NEEZEWEED.     SWAMP  SUNFLOWER.     {Plate  LXVI) 

Hdhiium  auinmnale. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Yellow.  Scentless.  General.  Late  summer  and  autumn. 

Flower-heads:  growing  singly,  or  clustered  loosely  in  a  corymb  and  com- 
posed of  both  ray  and  disk  flowers  ;  the  rays  three  to  five-cleft  at  the  summit. 
Leaves:  alternate  ;  lanceolate  ;  thick.  Stem  :  one  to  six  feet  high  ;  smooth  ; 
angled  ;   branched. 

The  swamp  sunflower,  while  greatly  pleasing  the  eye  by 
illuminating  the  low  fields  and  swamps  in  the  autumn,  is  on  the 
high  road  to  making  itself  a  most  disagreeable  member  of  the 
floral  world.  The  flowers  of  the  older  plants  are  very  poison- 
ous to  animals.  Usually  their  instinct  prevents  them  from  eat- 
ing of  them  ;  but  the  plant  is  one  of  those  insidious  things  for 
which  a  taste  can  be  cultivated.  Cows  have  been  known  to 
cultivate  this  fatal  taste,  when  their  milk  and  meat  were  made 
bitter.  If  the  plant  be  eaten  in  great  quantities  the  animal 
dies.  In  a  dried  and  powdered  form  it  causes  violent  sneezing, 
for  which  purpose  it  is  well  known  in  medicine.  Once  that  it 
has  established  itself  in  a  field  it  is  most  difficult  to  exterminate 
and  adds  one  more  to  the  trials  of  the  poor  farmer. 

H.  7iudiflbrum,  purple-head  sneezeweed,  grows  in  the  south 
and  west.  It  blossoms  from  June  until  October.  The  name 
purple-head  alludes  to  the  disk  flowers,  as  the  rays  are  yellow 
with  a  brownish  base. 


PLATE  LXIV.     FRINGED  GENTIAN.     Gentia?ia  crinifa. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREnERICK  A.   STOKES   COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  LXVl.    SNEEZEWEED.     Helemum  autumnale. 


132  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 


BLUE  STOKESIA.     {Plate  LXVII) 

Stokesia  cydnea. 

FAMILY         COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite,         Blue.  Sweetly  scented.       S.  Carolina^  Georgia  Late  summer 

and  Louisiana,  and  aututnn. 

Flower-heads  :  large  ;  terminal  ;  individual  flowers  all  tubular,  the  marginal 
ones  much  larger  than  those  of  the  centre,  irregular,  ray-like  and  split  deeply 
on  the  inside.  The  summit  also  deeply  cleft.  Scales  of  the  involucre  imbri- 
cated in  several  rows,  the  outer  one  becoming  bristly  and  leaf-like.  Leaves : 
alternate  ;  lanceolate  ;  entire  ;  glabrous  ;  the  upper  one  sessile  and  fringed  at 
the  base  like  the  bracts.     Slem  :   nearly  two  feet  high  ;  erect  ;   downy. 

Very  lovely  is  the  blue  stokesia,  and  when  we  come  to  in- 
quire into  its  life  history  we  find  that  it  is  no  less  interesting 
than  beautiful.  Our  curiosity  is  piqued  concerning  it  because 
it  is  the  only  member  of  its  genus  and  seems  not  to  be  closely 
related  to  any  other.  Now,  as  the  theory  is  that  every  plant  is 
evolved  from  some  other,  we  begin  to  wonder  about  the  miss- 
ing links  between  this  flower  and  its  antecedents.  How  has  it 
appeared  among  us  without  showing  any  trace  of  its  passage 
here  ?  Has  it,  like  Topsy,  "just  come  ?"  It  also  pursues  its 
own  course  indomitably,  without  showing  the  slightest  inclina- 
tion to  vary,  or  produce  new  species.  From  this  might  be 
argued  that  the  stokesia  has  reached  its  height  of  development 
and  is  about  to  die  out.  As  yet  we  need  not  grieve  too  deeply 
over  its  loss,  however  ;  evolution  is  very  considerate  and  would 
hardly  effect  so  great  a  change  in  much  less  than  a  million 
years. 

The  gradation  of  the  leaves  on  the  stem  into  bracts  also  illus- 
trates the  theory  of  plant  morphology  almost  more  than  is 
done  by  any  other  one  of  the  composites.  Whether  the 
stokesia  believes  these  theories  of  which  it  is  so  good  an  exam- 
ple is,  unfortunately,  like  its  antecedents,  wrapped  in  mystery. 

WILD  LETTUCE. 

Lactiica   Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Chicory.         Pale yello%v,  purple  or  reddish.     Scentless.  General.  Late  summer. 

Flower-heads  :  growing  in  leafy  panicles  ;  composed  of  strap-shaped  flowers. 
Leaves :   very  large,  sometimes  a  foot  long  ;  lanceolate  ;  the  lower   ones  fre- 


^.  t^^A  H^/^ 


Flower^  laid  open.        Pistil. 

PLATE  LXVII.     BLUE  STOKESIA.     Stokesia  cyatiea. 


134  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOIL. 

quently   being   lobed  ;  pale    underneath.     Stem  :   tall  ;   from  five   to  ten   feet 
high  ;    leafy. 

A  common  plant  in  moist  soil  along  the  roadsides  and  thick- 
ets. Its  great  height  and  large  leaves  make  it  conspicuous, 
especially  m  the  autumn.  From  it  the  humming  birds  gather 
down  to  make  their  nests. 

JOE=PYE=WEED.     TRUMPET=WEED.     {P/afe  LXVI/I.) 

Eitpatbriian  p iirp iireum . 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Crimson  purple.  Scentless.  General.  Late  summer. 

Flowers:  small;  growing  in  dense,  compound  corymbs  at  the  end  of  the 
stem  and  branches.  Corolla  :  tubular  ;  with  long  protruding  styles  of  a  light 
lavender  colour  which  give  the  flower-head  its  soft,  fluffy  appearance.  Leaves: 
whorled  in  groups  of  four  to  six,  lanceolate,  rough  ;  toothed  and  deeply 
veined,  sometimes  with  purple.  Stem  :  occasionally  twelve  feet  high  ;  rough  ; 
purple. 

"  Old  Joe-Pye's  in  the  pasture  again,"  the  farmer  cries  ;  and 
his  wife  nods  sympathetically  without,  perhaps,  turning  her 
head  to  look  across  the  lowlands  at  the  soft  tint  lent  to  the 
landscape  by  this  handsome  weed.  It  received  its  quaint  name 
from  a  New  England  Indian  doctor  who  is  said  to  have  cured 
typhus  fever  by  its  use. 

CUT=LEAVED  GOLDEN  ROD. 

Sol  id  ago  argiita. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite. 

Greenish  yellow. 

See  ttt  less. 

Al^ew  Hatnpshire  to 
Pennsylvania. 

Late  summer. 

Flower-heads  :  growing  on  stalks  in  a  dense  pyramidal  raceme.  Rays :  six 
to  seven,  large,  spreading.  Leaves :  lanceolate  ;  thin  ;  serrated.  Stem : 
angled  ;   smooth. 

Many  books  might  be  Vv-ritten  about  the  golden  rods  and  the 
story  then  be  only  partly  told.  We  know  them  as  a  brilliant 
family  which  gradually  appear  among  us,  sending  up  first  green 
stems  from  their  perennial  roots,  then  opening  sparingly  a  few 
buds  ;  and  before  we  can  realise  that  they  have  returned  to  us, 
they  have  thrown  out  a  mass  of  bloom  that  illuminates  almost 
every  field  and  waste  corner.     Their  message  to  us  is  hardly  as 


PLATE  LXVIII.     JOE-PYE-WEED.    Etipatorhim purpureum. 
(135) 


136  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  MOIST  SOiL. 

cheery  as  that  of  the  skunk  cabbage  ;  for  they  bid  us  get 
ready  for  the  winter,  when  everything  is  pale  and  cold  and  the 
wind  soughs  sadly  through  the  trees.  But  they  deliver  it  gaily 
and  remain  with  us  until  they  themselves  are  withered  down  to 
the  ground  by  the  frost. 

In  manner  of  growth  they  are  very  dissimilar,  some  forming 
heavy,  dense  racemes,  as  can  be  seen  from  the  illustration  of 
S.  juncea,  and  others  branching  and  sub-branching  into  light, 
feathery  clusters  ;  but  to  whatever  variations  they  are  subject, 
there  is  something  about  a  golden  rod  that  could  never  be  mis- 
taken for  any  other  flower. 

They  are  weeds,  and  with  the  exception  of  S.  bicolor,  a  silvery, 
slender  variety  which  grows  on  the  borders  of  dry  w^oods,  yel- 
low in  colour.  Of  the  attempts  to  cultivate  them  very  few 
have  been  successful  ;  they  cling  rather  to  the  fields  and  way- 
sides for  their  homes,  where  as  true  rods  of  gold  they  are  a 
beautiful  feature  of  the  American  autumn. 

S.  fistuVosa,  pine  barren  golden  rod,  is  found,  as  its  common 
name  implies,  in  wet  pine  barrens,  especially  those  of  New 
Jersey  and  as  far  south  as  Florida.  The  leaves  are  sessile, 
lanceolate  and  rough.  The  small  flower-heads  grow  on  the 
recurved  branches  of  panicles. 

S.  jiincea,  Plate  LXIX,  is  a  well-known  golden-rod  that  is 
commonly  found  in  dry  soil  along  the  roadsides  and  sometimes 
in  more  moist  places.  Its  myriads  of  flowers  with  small  rays 
grow  in  drooping,  heavy  panicles.  The  upper  leaves  are  del- 
icately coloured,  narrow  and  entire.  The  lower  ones  are 
sharply  toothed  and  have  a  distinctive  mark  in  their  fringed 
petioles.  It  is  but  seldom  that  the  plant  is  found  over  two  feet 
high. 


PLATE  LXIX.     GOLDEN  ROD.     Solidago juncea. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMP 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


Plants     Growing     in    Rich     or     Rocky 
Soil :    Deep  Woods  and  Hillsides. 

hi  the  deep  woods  spring  is  not  proclaimed  by  the  blasting 
of  trumpets  and  the  waving  of  gaudy  banners.  The  inhab- 
itants creep  in  softly  and  gravely  and  take  their  places  ;  for 
the  timid,  the  elfish,  the  proud  and  the  solenm  are  all  alike 
in  their  love  of  the  silence  and  shadozvs  of  their  home.  They 
shrink  from  rather  tha7i  attract  the  attention  of  passers  by  ; 
and  zuhen  seeking  them  we  are  impressed  with  the  idea  of 
intrusion.  We  are  not  invited  to  their  revels.  It  is  the 
buzzing  bee,  the  singing  birds  and  the  brigJit  little  animals 
that  make  merry  with  them.  And  when  they  are  sorrozvful 
and  the  seasons  are  dark,  so  that  gleams  of  sunshine  come  but 
feebly  tJirough  the  tree  tops;  the  drippi?ig  moisture  is 
Nature's  lajnentation  zvith  them. 

JACK=IN=THE=PULPIT.     INDIAN  TURNIP.     {Plate  LXX.) 

Aris(X)na  tr'ipJiylhtm. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Arum.  Green  and  pinkish  purple.         Scentless.         General.  April.,  May. 

Flowers  :  tiny ;  clustered  at  the  base  of  a  fleshy  spadix,  which  is  enveloped 
by  a  spathe,  the  point  curving  gracefully  over  the  spadix.  Leaves :  two  only  ; 
with  three  ovate,  pointed  leaflets  that  rise  far  above  the  spathe.  Sea/>e  :  erect ; 
pinkish.  Corm  :  turnip-shaped  and  abounding  in  farinaceous  matter.  Frm'l  : 
a  mass  of  scarlet  berries. 

«  Jack-in-the-pulpit 
Preaches  to-day, 
Under  the  green  trees 
Just  over  the  way. 


138      PLANTS  GROWING  IN   RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

Squirrel  and  song-sparrow, 

High  on  their  perch, 
Hear  the  sweet  lily-bells 

Ringhig  to  church." 

Spring  has  hardly  thrown  her  green  mantle  over  her  shoulders 
when  the  quaint  preacher  rises  in  his  pulpit,  and  in  language 
soft  and  solemn  speaks  to  the  rustling  elves  and  spirits  of  the 
woodlands.  He  is  a  sturdy  fellow,  and  we  believe  what  he  says 
must  be  thoroughly  orthodox  ;  although  we  lament  that  we 
have  not  the  quickened  perceptions  to  understand  him  better. 
But  we  know  he  is  beloved  by  his  people,  or  they  would  not  so 
familiarly  dub  him  "  Jack,"  nor  would  he  return  among  them  so 
faithfully.  The  preacher  has  a  rustic  grace  about  him  that  is 
quite  inimitable ;  and  the  magic  he  exercises  on  the  children  is 
only  equalled  by  the  charms  of  the  wily  Piper  of  Hamelin  town. 

"  Jack-in-the-pulpit  has  come,"  they  cry,  "  Jack-in-the-pulpit 
has  come." 

"  Come,  hear  what  his  reverence 

Rises  to  say 
In  his  low  painted  pulpit 

This  calm  Sabbath  day. 
Fair  is  the  canopy 

Over  him  seen, 
Pencilled  by  Nature's  hand, 

Black,  brown  and  green. 
Green  is  his  surplice, 

Green  are  his  bands  ; 
In  his  queer  little  pulpit 

The  little  priest  stands." 

STROPHILIRION.     {Plate  LXXI) 

S/rop/iilirioji   Calif orniciini. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily. 

Rose. 

Scentless. 

In  the  Sierra  Nevadas  and 
California. 

May. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  a  many-flowered  umbel  with  a  row  of  bracts  underneath. 
Perianth  ;  short  funnel-form,  contracted  at  the  throat  of  four  or  five  oblong 
lanceolate  segments.  Stamens  :  three,  on  the  throat,  alternating  with  three 
sterile  filaments  that  are  very  short  and  have  a  lanceolate  wing  on  each  side. 


PLATE   LXX.     JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.     Ariscrma  triphyllum. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


Pistil.  Corolla. 

PLATE  LXXl.     STROPHILIRIOM.     Sfrop/iih'rwn  Calif ornicmn. 

(139) 


I40      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL, 

Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  from  the  root;  more  than  a  foot  long;  broadly  linear. 
Scape  :  two  to  four,  or  even  twelve  feet  long ;  twining ;  rough.  Corm  :  an  inch 
in  diameter. 

What  might  become  of  us  if  this  strange  plant  should  ever 
mingle  in  floral  cultivation  a  good  Providence  only  knows.  It 
grows  rapidly,  and  has  a  way  of  twining  itself  over  bushes,  so 
that  when  one  stoops  to  pick  the  handsome  blossoms  it  is  some- 
times a  matter  of  amusement  to  try  and  trace  the  stem  to  its 
root.  That  is,  if  one  is  ambitious  and  intends  planning  a  novel 
maze.  There  is  very  little  hope  of  following  its  course,  or  of 
knowing  just  where  the  flowers  will  crop  out.  It  is  especially 
well  known  in  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento. 

WOOD  LILY.     WILD  RED  LILY. 

L I  /in  ni  Ph  ila  delph  icu  ?n . 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily.  Orange  red.  Scentless.  Mostly  north  and  west.  July.,  August. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary;  erect.  Perianth  :  of  six  divisions,  spotted  with 
purple  and  narrowing  into  claws  at  the  base,  where  a  sac  of  nectar  may  be 
found.  Stamens  :  six;  anthers,  conspicuous.  Pistil :  one  ;  stigma,  three  lobed. 
Leaves  :  lanceolate  ;  parallel-veined  ;  scattered,  or  whorled  about  the  top  of 
the  stem.     Stem  :  two  to  three  feet  high. 

Like  a  sudden  gleam  of  colour  does  this  bright  flower  startle 
us,  as  we  w^ander  through  the  shaded,  rich  woods.  Its  distinctive 
feature  is  the  way  in  which  the  divisions  of  the  perianth  narrow 
into  the  base.  L.  CatesbcBi,  a  southern  sister  of  the  lily,  has 
also  this  peculiarity ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  several  other  species 
that  are  natives  of  America. 

TWISTED  5TALK.     {Plate  LXXII.) 

Sireptopns  rbseus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR         ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-of-the-valley.     Rose  purple.     Scentless.     Mostly  north.       Late  spring  and  summer. 

Flowers:  small;  axillarv  ;  hanging  on  thread-like  flower-stalks  and  hidden 
under  the  leaves.  Perianth  :  bell-shaped,  with  six  divisions.  Stamens  :  six. 
Pistil:  one ;  stigma,  three-cleft.  Fruit :  a  round,  handsome,  red  berry. 
Leaves:  alternate;  clasping  :  parallel-veined;  pointed;  the  edges  surrounded 
with  tiny  hairs.     Stem  :  much  twisted. 

Even   more   pleasing  than    the   hidden    flower-bells   are  the 


PLATE  LXXIl.    TWISTED  STALK.     Strcpopus  rosew 
(141) 


142       PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

beautiful  red  berries  of  this  plant,  which  in  August  can  be 
found  hanging  from  thread-like  peduncles,  and  following  grace- 
fully the  curves  of  the  stalk.  In  the  avoiding  of  angles,  the 
plant  has  as  truly  the  artistic  instinct  as  though  it  had  been 
bred  in  a  French  school  of  design.  It  resembles  somewhat  the 
Solomon's  seal,  of  which  it  is  a  connection. 

SOLOnON'S  SEAL. 

Polygondtiini  biflbrum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-of-tke-valley.         Greenish  yelloiv         Scentless.         Nezu  England  May,  June, 

or  white.  southward. 

Flowers  ,-  growing  singly,  or  in  pairs  on  slender  pedicels  that  droop  from  the 
axil  of  each  leaf.  Feriani/i  :  bell-shaped  ;  six-toothed.  Siamens  :  six.  Pistil  ; 
one.  Frtiit :  a  small,  globular,  blue  berry.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  broadly  ovate  ; 
almost  sessile  ;  growing  on  the  upper  side  of  the  stem ;  covered  with  soft  hairs 
and  whitish  underneath.  Slem  :  curving  gracefully ;  glabrous.  Rootstock  : 
jointed  ;  scarred. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  round  scars  left  on  the  root- 
stock  of  the  Solomon's  seal  by  the  dead  stalks  of  the  preced- 
ing year,  do  resemble  the  impressions  made  by  seals  upon  wax  ; 
but  wherein  these  seals  resemble  those  used  by  Solomon  is  still 
a  mystery  to  many.  The  plant  both  in  flower  and  fruit  is  a 
most  effective  feature  of  the  woods. 

FALSE  50L0n0N'S  SEAL.     WILD  5PIKENARD. 

Vagnera  racembsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE         TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-of-the  valley.       Greenish  white.        Slightly  fragrant.      Mostly  May. 

north. 

Floivers  :  tiny;  growing  in  a  compound  panicle.  Perianth:  of  six  divisions. 
Stamens:  six  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  crimson  berry  speckled  with  purple. 
Leaves:  alternate;  oblong;  pointed  at  both  ends;  parallel-veined;  fluted  on 
the  edges  ;  slightly  hairy.     Stem  :  ascending  two  to  three  feet  high. 

The  bloom  and  fruit  of  this  plant  are  very  different  from 
those  of  the  Solomon's  seal.  In  fact  it  is  the  more  striking  of 
the  two  and  has  an  elusive,  sweet  perfume.  A  warm  friendship, 
however,  exists  between  them  and  they  are  often  found  grow- 
ing closely  together,  when  the  similarity  of  their  leaves  and 
growth  might  cause  them  to  be  mistaken  for  each  other.  The 
fruit  of  the  false  Solomon's  seal  we  frequently  notice  is  so 
heavy  as  to  bend  the  stalk  to  the  ground. 


FAMILY                COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

Lily-of-tke-valley.     White  or 

Sweet. 

New  Eftgland  south- 

faint yellow. 

ward  and  westward. 

PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.      143 


FALSE  LILY=OF=THE=VALLEY.     TWO=LEAVED 

SOLOMON'S  5EAL. 

Unifblhiiii  Canadeiise. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

F/cnvers :  small ;  clustered  in  a  terminal  spike.  Perianth  :  four-parted. 
Stajne)is  :  four.  Pistil :  one  ;  stigma  two-lobed.  Fruit :  a  round,  red  berry. 
Leaves  :  similar  to  those  of  the  true  lily-of-the-valley  ;  long,  pointed,  heart- 
shaped  at  base.     Stem  :  short  ;  five  inches  high ;  bearing  two  leaves. 

The  name  of  this  little  plant  is  most  misleading,  as  its  leaves 
alone  suggest  any  resemblance  to  the  lily-of-the-valley.  The 
flowers  arc  more  like  those  of  a  small  false  Solomon's  seal.  It 
is  found  abundantly  on  the  edges  of  mossy,  deep  woods  and 
around  the  bases  of  old  trees.  In  the  late  summer  its  spikes 
of  red  berries  are  extremely  pretty. 

INDIAN  CUCUMBER=ROOT. 

Medeola  Virginiana. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-of-the-valley.       Greenish  yellow.       Scentless.         Rather  general.  Jnite. 

Flowers  :  small ;  clustered  on  short  reflexed  pedicels  at  the  summit  of  the 
stem.  Perianth  :  of  six  reflexed  segments.  Stamens  :  six,  of  deep,  rich  brown. 
Pistil :  one  with  three  recurved,  long,  brown  stigmas-  Leaves:  in  two  sets  of 
whorls  ;  the  lower  set  of  seven  to  nine  ovate-lanceolate,  netted-veined  leaves  ; 
the  upper  set  of  three  to  four  smaller  leaves.  Stem:  erect;  and  covered,  as 
the  leaves,  with  a  cottony  fuzz,  apparently  quite  loose.  Kootstock :  thick; 
somewhat  suggesting  in  taste  and  appearance  a  cucumber. 

When  Columbus  discovered  America  and  the  Indians,  he 
must  also  have  discovered  the  cucumber-root.  They  are  alike 
characteristic  of  the  soil  of  North  America.  Like  the  primitive 
people  it  loves  so  well,  the  plant  is  a  model  of  erectness  and 
symmetry  of  form.  It  has  also  the  Indian's  love  of  seclusion 
and  the  silence  of  the  forest. 

Owing  to  its  being  possessed  of  medicinal  properties,  the  ge- 
neric name  Medeola  is  after  the  sorceress  Medea.  She  it  was 
who  mixed  the  portion  for  the  sleepless  dragon  that  guarded 
the  golden  fleece  ;  and  enabled  Jason  to  carry  it  off,  as  well  as 


144       PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

Medea  herself,  in  his  wonderful  ship  the  Argo.  Little  did  she 
then  suppose  that  a  plant  of  a  strange  people  would  serve  to 
recall  the  story. 

LARGE-FLOWERED  WAKE-ROBIN.     i^Flate  LXXIII) 

Trilliiun  g7'andiflb7'iiin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-o/-t he-valley.         White,  turning      Scentless.       Vermont  to  Penn.         May.,  June, 
later  to  pink.  and  westward. 

Flowers:  terminal;  solitary.  Calyx:  of  three,  long,  pointed,  green  sepals. 
Corolla  :  of  three  pointed  petals  ;  sometimes  three  inches  long.  Stamens  :  six. 
Pistil :  one  ;  stigma  having  three  branches.  Fruit :  a  red  or  purple  berry. 
Leaves:  whorled  in  threes  below  the  flower;  ovate;  triple-veined.  Stem: 
erect  ;  simple.    Rootstock  :   rather  tuberous. 

The  trilliums  are  among  the  choicest  wild  flowers  of  North 
.America  ;  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  Japanese  and  Hima- 
layan species  are  peculiar  to  the  country.  T.  grandiflorum  is 
possessed  of  a  chaste,  dignified  beauty,  but  is  without  fragrance. 
We  especially  lament  this,  as  the  greater  number  of  large,  white 
flowers  are  heavily  scented. 

In  support  of  the  theory  that  all  petals  were  originally  leaves, 
those  of  the  trilliums  have  a  curious  way  of  occasionally  turn- 
ing into  leaves. 

PAINTED  TRILLIUM.     {Plate  LXXIV) 

TrilliiDH  tindiddtum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-o/-t he-valley.      White,  veined  with     Scentless.      Following  the  A  lie-        Spring, 
crimson  and  purple.  ghany  Mountains 

to  Georgia, 

Flowers  :  terminal  ;  solitary.  Periaitth  :  of  three  green  sepals  and  three 
white,  pointed  petals.  Stamens :  six.  Pistil :  one,  with  three  curving  stigmas. 
Fruit :  a  beautiful,  ovate,  rather  angled,  red  berry,  an  inch  and  a  quarter  in 
length.  Leaves:  large;  ovate;  triple-veined;  in  whorls  of  three  on  the 
stem,  at  times  almost  hiding  the  flower.  Stem  :  brownish  at  the  top.  Roots  : 
poisonous. 

Perhaps  the  most  delicately  beautiful  member  of  the  family 
is  the  painted  trillium  ;  although  the  marking  of  the  white,  or 
pink  petals  with  wine  colour  has  given  rise  to  the  suspicion 
that  the  arts  have  been  consulted.     The  name,  however,  is  no 


: --       ---^1 

PLATE   LXXIII.     LARGE-FLOWERED  WAKE-ROBIN.     Trillium grandijioruvt. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


<  V 


PUrELXXIV.     PAINTED  TRILLIUM.     Trillium  unduiaium, 
(M5) 


146      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

doubt  an  injustice,  as  tlie  plant's  nature  is  shy,  and  it  hides  it- 
self in  the  cool,  moist  woods. 

In  the  south  there  is  a  sessile  trillium  which  has  lemon-col- 
oured petals  and  a  delicious  fragrance. 

ILUSCENTED  WAKE=ROBIN.     BIRTHROOT. 

Trillium  erectuDi. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily-o/-tJie-valley.        Purplish  red.  Unpleasant.        Mostly  north.  April-June. 

Flowers:  terminal;  solitary;  slightly  inclined  to  be  nodding.  Perianth  i 
of  three  green,  pointed  sepals  and  three  large,  recurved  petals.  Stamens :  six. 
Pistil :  one,  having  three  stigmas.  Pruit :  a  large,  angled,  red  berry.  Leaves  ; 
broad  ;  ovate  ;  netted-veined  ;  whorled  in  threes  on  the  flower-stalks  a  little 
below  the  flower.     Stem  :   stout  ;    simple  ;    smooth.     Rootstock :  tuberous. 

In  the  early  spring  this  beautiful  young  creature  begins  its 
career  in  the  woods.  We  cannot,  however,  be  very  sympathetic 
with  it,  in  spite  of  its  good  looks,  as  it  repels  us  by  its  almost 
fetid  odour.  Its  common  name,  also,  while  pretty,  is  rather  de- 
ceptive. The  plant  does  not  wake  the  robins,  because  they 
have  been  chirping  and  hopping  about  on  lawns  long  before  the 
flower  came  into  bloom  ;  and  they  are  not  especially  fond  of 
the  dark  woods  that  the  trillium  loves  best.  So  altogether  we 
are  inclined  to  believe  that  the  plant  has  too  great  an  idea  of 
its  own  importance,  and  that  it  does  not  possess  the  innate 
qualities  of  virtue  which  it  would  have  us  believe. 

BELLWORT. 

Uvultwia  sessilifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Bunch-floiver.     Straiu  colour.        Scentless,       New  England  to  Georgia.         May.  June. 

Flowers  :  one  or  two  that  droop  from  slender  peduncles.  Perianth  :  bell- 
shaped,  of  six  separate  divisions.  Stamens;  six.  Pistil:  one  ;  styles -three- 
cleft.  Leaves :  lance-oblong  and  sessile,  as  the  name  indicates.  Stem  : 
angled. 

The  flowers  of  this  pretty  plant  are  usually  described  as 
drooping  modestly,  and  no  doubt  it  is  only  to  those  of  perverted 
eyesight  that  they  appear  like  a  naughty  little  girl  wno  might 
be  good  if  she  would  ;  but  from  lack  of  the  wish  is  continually 


PLATE  LXXV.     PANICLED  BELLFLOWER.     Campanida  divaricata. 

(147) 


148      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

constrained  to  hide  herself  under  her  nurse's  apron.  It  would 
be  so  much  pleasanter  for  everybody  if  the  bellwort  would  not 
hide  away  under  its  leaves  quite  so  much. 

PERFOLIATE  BELLWORT. 

Uvtilaria  perfoliata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Biinck-Jlo'wer.  Pale  yellow.         Scentless.        Netv  England  south-  May.,  June. 

ward  to  Florida. 

The  principal  difference  between  the  perfoliate  bellwort  and 
the  preceding  species  is  that  the  leaves  of  the  latter  are  united 
at  their  bases  about  the  stems.  This  gives  a  pleasing  effect, 
as  though  the  stems  had  pierced  through  the  leaves  for 
the  purpose  of  throwing  the  flowers  more  into  prominence. 
Both  varieties  are  found  rather  generally  in  rich  woods. 

PANICLED  BELLFLOWER.     i^Plate  ZXXV.) 

Ca)npd7iula  divaricata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Belljlower.  Blue.  Scentless.        Southern  Alleghanies.  June-August. 

Flowers  :  ^xt\2A\\  one-third  of  an  inch  long;  nodding;  growing  in  spreading 
panicles.  Calyyi :  five-lobed.  Corolla  :  bell-shaped  ;  five-lobed.  Stamens  :  five. 
Fislil :  one,  protruding,  with  three  stigmas.  Leaves ;  scattered  ;  lanceolate  ; 
coarsely  toothed.     Stein  :  erect ;  branching. 

When  on  some  mountain-top  these  little  bells  are  freshly 
washed  by  a  thunder-shower,  and  the  sun  shines  out  to  dry 
them  off  as  the  breeze  sways  them  gaily  to  and  fro,  we  fancy 
we  have  found  the  enchanted  land  of  the  little  people.  They 
are  too  tiny  and  gentle  to  belong  to  the  world  of  grown-up  folk. 

Oh,  sweetly  nodding  little  bells 

That  ring  sweet  chimes  for  the  fairies'  dell. 

CANADA  VIOLET.     {Plate  C XXX v:) 

Viola  Canadhisis, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Violet.         White.,  the  two  upper  Fragrant.  North  and  west.  Summer. 

petals  purple  underneath. 

This  is  the  largest  and  boldest  of   our  wild  violets,  often 


'  ^^-^  <r  -^ 


PLATE  LXXVI.     DALIBARDA.     Dalibarda  repens. 
(149) 


I50      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

reaching  a  height  of  two  feet.  It  blooms  throughout  the  sea- 
son and  has  its  home  in  rich  woods,  or  on  mountain-tops.  In 
the  early  season  its  fragrance  is  hardly  perceptible,  but  it  be- 
comes stronger  as  the  summer  advances.  The  leaves  are 
heart-shaped,  toothed,  and  they  have  stipules.  The  stems  are 
leafy.  It  can  readily  be  recognised  in  the  coloured-plate  illus- 
tration, 

V.  rotundifolia^  or  round-leaved  violet,  also  has  its  home  in 
cool,  northern  woods.  It  is  a  pale-yellow  variety  with  a  very 
short  spur  and  lateral  petals  that  are  veined  with  brown.  The 
roundish,  crenate  leaves  lie  flat  on  the  ground  and  grow  very 
large  and  shiny  during  the  summer.  The  plant  is  not  leafy 
stemmed. 

HAWTHORN.     SCARLET-FRUITED  THORN. 

CratcFgiis  coccinea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Apple.         WhitCypink^  or  reddish.         Unpleasant.      Newfou7tdland  to  Spring. 

Manitoba^  S.  to  Florida 
and  Texas. 

Flowers:  large  ;  clustered  in  a  corymb.  Calyx:  five-cleft.  Corolla:  of  five 
rosaceous  petals.  Stamens:  numerous.  Pistil:  one.  Frtiit:  bright  scarlet; 
not  eatable.  Leaves :  on  petioles  ;  roundish  ovate  :  often  lobed  ;  serrate.  A  low 
tree  or  shrub,  the  branches  beset  with  sharp  thorns. 

The  hawthorn  division  of  the  apple  family  abounds  in  a  num- 
ber of  small  trees  that  unfold  an  abundance  of  bloom  in  the 
early  spring.  The  blossoms  blend  with  all  the  pale  green  and 
pink  tones  that  first  cover  the  dull  grey  of  the  winter. 

The  dwarf  thorn,  C.  luiifldra^  which  is  found  in  sandy 
places,  is  one  of  the  few  that  can  be  properly  called  shrubs. 

DALIBARDA.     {Plate  LXXVJ.) 
Dalibdrda  repeiis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  Pure  white.  Faintly  szveet.  North.  J une,July. 

Flowers:  one  or  two  borne  upon  slender  scapes.  Calyx:  of  five  or  six  un- 
equal divisions,  the  three  larger  ones  closing  over  the  fruit.  Corolla  :  about  an 
inch  broad;  of  five,  delicate,  spreading  petals.  Stame7is:  numerous.  Pistils  ; 
five  to  ten.  Leaves :  from  the  base  ;  spreading  in  a  tuft ;  on  long  petioles  ;  cor- 
date ;  toothed  and  mottled  with  a  lighter  shade  of  green.     Rootstock :  creeping. 


(1 


PLATE  LXXVII.     EARlY  WHITE  ROSE.     J^osa  blanda. 
(150 


152      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

A  sweet  little  flower  that  cannot  but  cast  a  spell  of  enchant- 
ment over  those  that  linger  near  it  in  its  woodland  home.  Its 
characteristics  remind  us  strongly  of  the  violet  family  ;  but  a 
taste  for  numerous  stamens  has  caused  it  to  be  classed  among 
the  roses.  It  seems  unfortunate  that  no  English  or  pet  name 
has  ever  been  bestowed  upon  the  flower,  which  would  endear  it 
to  us  by  a  feeling  of  closer  friendship. 

EARLY  WHITE  ROSE.     {Plate  LXXVII.) 

Rosa  blanda. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  White.  Slightly  fragrant,  Mtstly  north.  Late  spring. 

This  beautiful  wild  rose  of  rocky  banks  and  woods  has  at- 
tached itself  to  all  that  are  friends  of  the  flowers.  Its  petals 
are  large  and  wavy,  and  it  is  very  leafy.  Unfortunately,  R. 
blanda  is  rather  rare,  and  unless  we  know  of  some  quiet 
spot  where  it  blows,  we  may  search  for  it  in  vain  throughout 
a  season.     It  is  native  to  America  only. 

EARLY  MEADOW  RUE. 

ThaVictrum  dioicuin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.        Purplish  pink.        Scentless.         New  England  south-  Aprils  May. 

ward  and  westzvard. 

Flowers:  growing  in  loose  panicles.  Calyx:  of  four  or  five  petal-like  sepals 
that  fall  early.  Corolla  :  none.  Stamens:  indefinite  in  number.  Pistils:  four 
to  fifteen,  on  different  plants  from  the  stamens.  Leaves:  alternate;  much  di- 
vided into  three  to  seven-lobed  leaflets,  the  upper  ones  smooth  and  pinnate. 

This  plant  is  frequently  cultivated  on  account  of  its  graceful 
foliage,  fern-like  sprays  of  which  mingle  very  prettily  with 
other  flowers.  The  bloom  is  rather  unattractive  from  the  point 
of  beauty,  but  it  is  a  most  interesting  study  botanically. 

T,purpurdscens,  purplish  meadow  rue,  comes  into  bloom  a  little 
later  than  the  preceding  species.  Its  compound  panicles  are 
composed  of  feathery  staminate  or  pistillate  blossoms.  On  the 
delicate  leaflets  are  often  found  hairs  which  are  tipped  with 
minute  glands. 

T,  Polygamum,  Plate  XLVIL 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.      153 

COLUriBINE. 

Aquilegia  Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Croiv/oot,  Red  and  yellow.  Scentless.  Central.  April,  May. 

Flowers  :  terminal ;  solitary  ;  nodding  from  thread-like  flower-stalks.  Ca- 
lyx :  of  live,  red,  ovate  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five,  united,  tubular,  spuired  petals  ; 
red  on  the  outside  and  within  yellow.  Stamens:  numerous;  projecting.  Pis- 
tils :  tive  ;  the  styles  very  slender.  Leaves  :  the  lower  ones  on  i)etioles  and  di- 
vided twice,  or  thrice  into  lobed  leaflets ;  the  upper  ones  nearly  sessile,  entire 
or  lobed.    Stem  :  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high  ;  branching  ;  glaucous. 

"  Is  it  not  afraid  ? "  asked  a  little  child  who  saw  the  colum- 
bine as  it  was  bent  and  swayed  by  the  wind  over  a  rocky  cliff, 
and  appeared  to  cling  so  lightly  to  the  crumbled  soil.  "  No," 
was  the  answer,  "  the  columbine  has  a  fearless  heart  and  a 
spirited  courage  :  it  is  never  afraid." 

Recently  we  have  been  hearing  considerable  about  its  pa- 
triotism ;  and  it  has  been  shown  to  us  as  "  the  peace  that 
makes  for  power,  and  the  power  that  makes  for  peace."  This 
significance  is  found  in  the  resemblance  of  various  parts  of  the 
flower  to  an  eagle  and  a  dove.  The  generic  name  aquilegia,  or 
in  Latin  aquila,  an  eagle,  is  from  the  curved  spurs  that  in  cer- 
tain forms  of  the  flower  suggest  the  bird's  five  talons.  Colum- 
bine, or  columba,  was  chosen  for  it  because  in  another  position 
can  be  seen  a  ring  of  doves,  or  two  turtle  doves,  according  to 
one's  clearness  of  vision.  In  our  childhood  we  invariably  see 
the  latter. 

"  O  columbine,  open  your  folded  wrapper, 
Where  two  twin  turtle  doves  dwell  I  " 

Looking  at  the  front  view  of  the  flower  we  can  picture  a  five- 
layed  star.  A  single  nectarie  imitates  a  liberty  cap  ;  and  in 
the  long  spurred  forms  we  have  the  horn  of  plenty.  Some  one 
of  its  species  can  be  found  throughout  the  country  ;  and  it 
blooms  in  all  of  our  national  colours,  red,  white  and  blue.  The 
plant  is  indigenous  to  our  soil  and  one  that  is  in  no  sense  a 
weed.  To  be  used  for  decorative  designs  it  is  also  peculiarly 
well  adapted. 


154      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

And  if  authorities  do  differ  with  each  other  a  little  about  the 
exact  significance  of  these  emblems,  we  do  not  mind  very 
much  ;  because  we  have  them  all  in  the  imagination,  where  we 
hold  fast  to  them  as  part  of  this  beautiful  flower. 

A.  truncata,  (Plate  LXXVIII.)  is  another  red  and  yellow 
variety  which  has  petals  as  though  cut  off  at  the  top,  or  trun- 
cate. It  is  extremely  variable  in  size  and  foliage  ;  but  is  firm 
in  its  preference  for  shaded  places,  often  by  streams. 

A.  ccBridea,  (Plate  LXXVIII.)  or  the  long-spurred  columbine, 
is  an  exquisite  flower.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
where  on  shady  slopes  it  blooms  abundantly.  The  illustration 
shows  it  in  its  blue  gown  :  it  is  also  fond  of  white  and  occa- 
sionally pinkish  ;  but  never  red.  The  ovate  sepals  with  their 
slender  spurs  are  spreading  and  double  the  length  of  the  round 
lighter-coloured  petals  with  which  they  alternate.  In  size  it  is 
quite  three  inches  broad.  The  beauty  of  the  species  has  en- 
couraged enthusiastic  horticulturists  to  introduce  it  into  gar- 
dens. 

*'  So  did  the  maidens  with  their  flowers  entwine 
The  scented  white,  the  blue  and  flesh-like  Columbine." — Brown. 

WHITE  BANEBERRY. 

Actka  alb  a. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crozu/oot.  IV'iite.  Scentless.  Nezv  England  southward.  April^  May. 

Flowers :  small ;  in  a  dense,  termJnal  raceme.  Calyx  :  of  four  to  six  sepals 
that  fall  early. .  Coyolla  :  of  four  to  ten  petals  with  claws.  Stamens :  numer- 
ous ;  with  white  filaments.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  two-lobed.  Fruit:  a  round- 
ish, oval,  white  berry  with  a  dark  eye  at  the  apex ;  glabrous ;  poisonous. 
Leaves:  compound  with  ovate  leaflets  in  threes  ;  the  upper  ones  often  sharply 
cleft.     Stem  :  smooth  ;    high  ;    the  flower-stalk  a  conspicuous,  bright  red. 

A  very  old  friend  to  those  that  visit  the  woods  is  the  white 
baneberry.  Its  curious  late  summer  fruit  lingers  perhaps  better 
in  the  memory  than  the  soft  white  bloom  of  early  spring. 

A,  rubra.,  the  red  baneberry,  is  very  handsome  and  is  readily 
distinguished  by  its  cherry-coloured  berries.  It  comes  into 
bloom  a  little  earlier  than  the  above  and  is  partial  to  a  cooler 
soil.     The  berries  are  also  said  to  be  poisonous. 


PLATE   LXXVIII 


LONG-SPURRED  COLUMBINE.     Aqui/eg-ia  arrulea. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 


I 


n 


.4^m 


PLATE  L  XXIX.     BLACK  COHOSH.     Cimici'fuga  raccmosa. 
(15s) 


156      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

BLACK  COHOSH.     BLACK  SNAKEROOT.     BUGBANE. 

{Plate  LXXIX.) 
Cimicifuga  racembsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE        TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  White.  Disagreeable.  General.  Summer. 

Flowers:  growing  in  racemes  one  to  three  feet  in  length.  Calyx:  of  four  or 
five  early  falling  sepals.  Corolla:  very  irregular,  two  of  the  petals  appearing 
like  transformed  stamens.  Slamens :  numerous;  with  protruding  filaments 
that  give  the  whole  a  feathery  appearance.  Pislils :  one,  two  or  three. 
Leaves :  alternate  ;  pinnately-divided,  the  leaflets  deeply  toothed.  Ste7n  :  three 
to  eight  feet  high. 

It  is  well  that  the  Indians  have  given  this  plant  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  efficacious  for  snake-bite  ;  and  that  its  generic 
name,  signifying  to  drive  away  bugs,  endues  it  with  the  power 
of  expelling  plant  vermin.  Otherwise  we  might  be  inclined  to 
shower  anathemas  upon  it,  as  a  deceitful  thing  that  beckons 
us  to  its  presence  by  its  wand-like  racemes  and  then  treats  us 
to  such  an  unpleasant  odour  that  we  are  prone  to  hasten  away 
as  swiftly  as  possible.  It  may  truly  be  classed  among  those 
objects  to  which,  from  the  standpoint  of  frail  humanity,  dis- 
tance lends  enchantment. 

EARLY  SAXIFRAGE. 

Saxifraga  Virginiensis. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Saxifrage. 

White. 

Scentless. 

Northeast  to  Georgia 
•westward  to  Tennessee. 

March-fune. 

Flowers  :  small ;  densely  clustered  in  cymes  upon  the  ends  of  hairy  scapes. 
Calyx:  of  five  very  short  sepals.  Corolla:  of  five  petals.  Stamens:  ten. 
Pistil :  one,  with  two  styles.  Fruit :  a  many  seeded,  purple  capsule.  Leaves : 
clustered  at  the  root ;  obovate  ;  toothed.  Scape:  three  to  nine  inches  high; 
clammy. 

All  the  timorous,  hesitating  beauty  of  the  early  spring  bloom 
clusters  about  the  saxifrage.  It  slips  into  the  woods  quietly,  as 
though  fearful  that  if  it  made  a  noise  or  attracted  too  much 
attention.  Jack  Frost  might  send  some  one,  or  come  himself, 
which  would  be  worse,  and  punish  it  by  retarding  its  growth. 
We  find   it  on  the  top,  or  in  the  clefts,  of  rocks,  which   it  has 


PLATE  LXXX-     BUNCH-BERRY.     Cor?ius  dmadensh. 
(157) 


158       PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

been  known  to  break  asunder.  In  fact,  to  watch  this  little  plant 
is  a  moral  lesson  in  the  achievements  that  can  be  brought  about 
by  quiet  will  power. 

FOAM  FLOWER.     FALSE  niTRE=WORT. 


Til  I  re  I  la  co?'difblia . 

FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR                               RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Saxifrage. 

White. 

Scentless.                       New  England 

April,  May. 

southward  and  westward. 

Flowers:  growing  in  a  raceme  on  a  high  scape.  Calyx:  of  four,  parted 
sepals.  Corolla:  of  five,  clawed  petals.  Stametis:  ten;  long,  with  orange-red 
anthers.  Pistil'  one,  with  two  styles.  Leaves:  from  the  base  ;  cordate  ; 
lobed  ;  very  mottled.  Scape :  about  a  foot  high  ;  hairy.  The  plant  is  from  a 
rootstock  and  is  reproduced  by  runners  that  spread  in  summer. 

A  little  boy  whose  sister  ran  to  him  with  her  hands  full  of 
the  delicate  foam-flower  that  she  had  gathered  in  the  woods, 
threw  it  down  in  disgust  and  said  :  "  Sister,  it  has  forgotten  its 
clothes."  He  missed  the  leaves  that  he  had  been  accustomed 
to  seeing  on  flowers  and  was  indignant  at  the  long,  naked 
stem. 

niTRE=WORT.     BISHOP'S  CAP. 

Mil  el  la  diphylla. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Saxifrage.  White.  Scentless.  New  England  southward.  May. 

The  mitre-wort  is  very  similar  in  effect  to  the  foam-flower, 
although  its  beauty  is  of  a  much  more  fragile  type.  Its  stems 
are  low  and  hairy  and  it  protects  itself  with  a  few  stem 
leaves  which  are  opposite  and  sessile, 

BUNCH=BERRY.     DWARF  CORNEL.     {Plate  LXXX.) 
Cornus  Canade'nsis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Dogwood.  White  and  green.  Scentless.      New  York  westward.  fune. 

Flo7vers :  very  small,  greenish  and  wrapped  about  by  an  involucre  that  ap- 
pears like  four  pointed  sepals.  Calyx:  tiny;  four-cleft.  Corolla:  of  four 
spreading  petals.  Stamens:  four.  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  bunch  of  closely 
clustered,  round,  red  berries.  Leaves:  ovate  ;  pointed  ;  nerved;  the  upper 
ones  whorled  and  apparently  forming  a  resting  place  for  the  flowers.  Stejn  : 
erect  ;   bearing  below  a  number  of  scale-like  leaves. 

A  proud  little  thing  is  the  bunch-berry,  and  although  it  is 


PLATE  LX XXI I.     SOURWOOD.     Oxydcndrimi  arboreum. 


I  COPYRIGHT,    1899.    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 

PRINTED    IN   AMERICA 


i6o      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

the  smallest  member  of  the  family,  it  has  wrapped  about  itself 
a  white  petal-like  involucre  that  is  only  indulged  in  by  a  few 
other  dogwoods,  as  is  the  case  with  the  largest  and  most  import- 
ant of  them  all,  the  C.  florida.  It  has  probably  found  out  that 
size  is  not  such  an  essential  matter.  "  Bigness,"  Bishop  Potter 
says,  "  is  not  greatness." 

After  the  bloom  has  passed,  the  flower-stalk  stretches  upward 
and  bears  a  bunch  of  attractive  red  berries.  They  are  quite 
edible.  In  the  rich  woods  of  New  Jersey  the  plant  grows  pro- 
lifically. 

FLOWERING  DOGWOOD.     {Plate  LXXXI) 

Cornus  fibrida. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Dogwood.  White  and  green.  Scentless.  Rather  general.  May,  June. 

Flowers  :  tiny ;  perfect ;  green  ;  growing  in  a  cluster  and  surrounded  by  a 
showy  involucre  of  four  obcordate  petal-like  bracts,  notched  at  the  apex. 
Leaves :  simple ;  elliptical ;  netted-veined  ;  glabrous.  A  shrub  or  tree  twelve 
to  thirty  feet  high  ;  woody ;  branching  ;  leafy. 

Almost  too  well  known  to  need  any  description  is  this  shrub 
or  tree.  Like  the  little  bunch-berry  it  is  provided  with  a  beau- 
tiful white  involucre  and  it  can  be  seen  at  a  great  distance. 
Hardly  any  one  of  our  shrubs  contributes  more  to  the  beauty 
of  the  spring  woods. 

The  pity  is  that  when  at  the  height  of  its  bloom  it  is  so  often 
stripped  of  its  flowers,  and  great  branches  of  it  are  broken  off  by 
ruthless  hands  that  seem  to  be  quite  ignorant  of  the  harm  they 
are  doing. 

Its  home  is  in  the  rocky  woods,  and  according  to  the  tradi- 
tion of  the  people,  it  blooms  just  at  the  proper  time  for  planting 
Indian  corn. 

ROUND=LEAVED  DOGWOOD. 

C6r7ius   circinata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Dogwood.  White.  Scentless.  New  England  June. 

south^vard  and  westward. 

Flowers:  small,  in  a  flat  open  cluster  having  no  involucre.  Calyx  :  with  four 
minutely-toothed  sepals.     Corolla:  with  four  petals.     Sla?nens :  four.     Pistil: 


4TE  LXXXIII.     MOUNTAIN   LAUREL.     Kalmia  latifolia. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.     i6i 

one.  Fruit:  a  light  blue  berry.  Leaves:  opposite;  oval,  pointed;  downy 
underneath.  A  shrub  three  to  ten  feet  high,  the  branches  streaked  with  white 
or  green ;  warty. 

Although  rather  faithful  in  its  love  of  the  woods,  where  it 
settles  itself  by  the  paths  and  roadways  so  as  to  nod  to  the 
passers  by,  this  pretty  shrub  is  not  as  discriminating  as  it 
might  be  in  the  matter  of  soil.  To  rich  or  poor,  rocky  or 
sandy,  it  appears  to  be  alike  indifferent.  From  its  bark  is  ex- 
tracted cornine,  a  powerful  extract  that  is  used  for  a  tonic.  It 
is  similar  to  quinine. 

SOURWOOD.    50RREL-TREE,    {Plate  LXXXII) 

Oxydendrum  arbor  aim. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  White.  Sweet  like  honey.         Penn.  southzvard^  April^  May. 

Florida  to  Mississippi 
and  "westward. 

Fiowers :  growing  in  terminal  panicles.  Calyx:  five-parted;  pubescent. 
Corolla:  five-toothed  ;  pubescent.  Sta  me /is  :  ten.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves :  zXitx- 
nate  ;  ovate  ;  pointed ;  sour.     A  tree  fifteen  to  forty  feet  high. 

It  would  be  a  very  queer  world  indeed  if  we  should  ever  lose 
our  faith  in  the  compensations  of  Dame  Nature  ;  and  yet  when 
we  see  the  O.  arboreum  covered  with  its  sprays  of  exquisite 
bloom,  we  cannot  but  wonder  about  those  poor  little  shrubs 
that  have  cared  so  tenderly  for  their  buds  and  are  after  all  so 
very  plain.  Every  good  gift,  it  seems,  has  been  showered  upon 
this  lovely  tree.  It  has  the  sweet  fragrance,  the  delicate 
beauty  of  the  lily-of-the-valley  ;  and  combined  as  it  is  in 
masses,  it  gives  all  the  strong  effect  of  a  bolder  bloom. 

The  only  difficulty  is  that  one  is  tempted  to  sit  down  beside 
it  and  never  go  away. 

MOUNTAIN  LAUREL.     CALIC0-BU5H.     5P00NW00D. 

{Plate  LXXXIII.) 
Kdhnia  latifblia. 

f  AMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  White  or  pink  Very  fragrant.  Inland  and  M ay  ^  June, 

deepening  into  red.  middle  states. 

Flowers:  terminal;  axillary;  growing  in  rich  umbel-like  clusters.  Calyx: 
©t  five  sepals;  clammy  and  covered  with  hairs.     Corolla:   wheel-shaped  ;    five- 


i62     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

lobed.  Stamens:  ten;  the  anthers  of  each  one  held  by  a  depression  of  the 
corolla.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  alternate;  elliptical;  entire;  evergreen  and 
shiny.     Stem  :    ten  to  thirty  feet  high  ;   woody. 

All  flowers  are  lovely,  but  the  beauty  of  the  laurel  has  placed 
it  where  it  stands  quite  alone  ;  and  by  many  lovers  of  flowers 
it  is  thought  to  be  the  most  beautiful  of  those  native  to 
America.  It  is  also  endeared  to  us  by  its  many  virtues.  It  is 
very  domestic,  and  has  a  strong  love  for  its  own  home.  Its 
mind  is  blessed  with  a  rare  contentment.  In  fact,  it  will  sel- 
dom endure  transplanting  ;  unless  care  has  been  taken  to  pro- 
vide for  it  soil  of  the  same  quality  as  that  of  its  chosen  groves. 

The  construction  of  the  flower  is  on  the  plan  of  a  wheel,  and 
the  stamens  correspond  to  the  spokes.  Each  filament  is  held 
and  slightly  arched  by  the  anther,  which  is  caught  in  a 
pouch  of  the  corolla.  The  device  of  this  little  trap  is  most  in- 
genious and  the  mechanism  very  fine.  It  is  set  for  Master  Bee 
and  patiently  awaits  his  coming.  When  he  brushes  against  it, 
or  jostles  it  the  least  little  bit,  the  anthers  become  dislodged, 
spring  up  and  let  fly  from  their  cells  right  in  his  face,  or  over 
his  back,  such  a  volley  of  pollen  that  the  poor,  old,  drowsy 
thing  is  quite  disconcerted.  Thinking  himself  inhospitably  re- 
ceived, he  then  betakes  himself  to  the  next  flower,  only  to  find 
that  his  back  is  made  heavier  by  another  cargo  of  pollen,  while 
the  protruding  stigma  is  busy  relieving  him  of  his  first  load. 
The  clamminess  of  the  calyx  and  stems  is  undoubtedly  to  pre- 
vent such  small  insects  as  would  be  unable  to  carry  the  pollen 
for  cross-fertilization,  from  climbing  up  into  the  flower  and  in- 
terfering with  its  arrangements. 

Children  that  are  in  sympathy  with  the  bees  know  of  this 
trap,  and  will  invariably  knock  the  blossom.s  with  their  little  fin- 
gers for  the  pure  pleasure  of  seeing  the  anthers  spring  up  and 
the  pollen  fly.  As  yet,  the  bees  have  not  taught  them  the  after 
labour  of  carrying  the  pollen. 

The  leaves  of  the  plant  are  unfortunately  poisonous.  A  crys- 
talline substance  that  is  readily  dissolved  out  of  them  by  cold 
water,  is  said  to  be  more  deadly  than  strychnine.     Cattle  and 


PLATE  LXXXIV.      SHEEP  LAUREL.     /wr/;;/m  ,;;/<v/,v//aVa; 


COPYRJGHT,   1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.     163 

sheep  fall  victims  annually  to  eating  the  shrub.  Unprincipled 
people  have  also  made  use  of  the  leaves  to  increase  the  in- 
toxicating effect  of  liquors. 

Long  ago  the  red  man  knew  of  this  poison.  It  was  dear  to 
him.  For  when  he  became  unhappy,  it  lulled  him  into  the  long 
sleep,  and  hastened  his  footsteps  to  his  happy  hunting  ground. 

SHEEP  LAUREL.    LAflBKILL.   WICKY.    {Plate  LXXXIV) 

Kcilm  I  a  a  ngustifblia . 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  Rich,  deep,  pinkish         Scentless.         Newfotindland  to  Jufie. 

crimson.  Georgia. 

Flowers :  axillary  ;  clustered  in  corymbs.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  : 
not  quite  half  an  inch  broad,  with  five  lobes.  Stamens  :  ten  ;  the  anthers 
dark-coloured  and  nestling  in  the  pouches.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves  :  narrow  ;  in 
whorls  of  three ;  pale.     A  shrub  growing  about  a  foot  high. 

Such  a  wealth  of  witchery  clusters  about  lambkill  that  we  are 

very,  very  lenient  to  its  failings  and  almost  prone  to  forgive 

them  altogether.     It  is,  unhappily,  the  most  poisonous  of  the 

laurels,  and  exercises  this  power   over   poor,    dumb   animals, 

which,  to  say  the  least,  is  not  very  sportsmanlike  of  lambkill. 

But,  on  the  other  side,  it  is  most  stupid  of  the  brute  world  to 

attempt  to  feast  upon  this  lovely  shrub  when  it  is  so  evidently 

intended  to  please  another  sense  ;  for  a  hillside,  or  low  ground, 

that  is  covered  with  it,  is  about  as  fair  a  sight  as  can  be  seen. 

GREAT  RHODODENDRON.     AflERICAN  ROSE=BAY. 

GREAT  LAUREL.     {Plate  ZXXXV.) 

Rh  ododhi  dron  in dxim  iim . 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath. 

IVhite,  spotted  with 
red  and  yellow. 

Scentless. 

New  York  to  Georgia. 

July. 

Flowers :  clustered  together  in  great  bunches  ;  the  flower-stalks  clammy. 
Calyx:  of  five  very  short,  cleft  sepals.  Corolla  :  tubular  ;  almost  bell-shaped  ;  five 
parted  and  greenish  in  the  throat.  Stamens:  ten.  Pistil:  one  with  a  red 
stigma.  Fruit:  a  pod  with  small  seeds.  Leaves  :  broadly  elliptical  ;  entire  ;  gla- 
brous ;  evergreen;  in  texture  like  leather.  Stem:  six  to  twenty  feet  high; 
woody  ;  fibrous  ;  leafy. 

To  come  upon  one  of  the  haunts  of  the  great  laurel  in  the 
moist  shady  woods  of  summer,  is  to  get  an  inspiration  that  can 
be  recalled  with  pleasure  during  the  whole  lifetime.     For  the 


i64     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

imagination  can  picture  no  more  glorious  burst  of  nature  tlian 
that  which  will  then  be  spread  out  before  one.  It  were,  how- 
ever, well  for  us  not  to  try  to  follow  our  pathway  through  the 
waxy  flowers,  but  to  imitate  the  custom  of  the  sheep  and  go 
around  ;  as  the  intermingling,  close  manner  of  their  growth  is 
in  places  so  great  as  to  make  the  way  quite  impassable. 

The  shrub  is  well  adapted  for  cultivation,  when  the  flowers 
become  very  large,  and  are  most  effective  as  decorations  in 
parks.  For  this  purpose  it  is  yearly  becoming  more  popular  ; 
but  it  is  futile  to  transplant  it  unless  under  favourable  climatic 
influences.  A  moist  atmosphere  is  necessary  for  it  to  thrive 
well.  Out  of  three  thousand  that  were  planted  on  an  estate  in 
Dutchess  County,  where  the  air  has  a  peculiar  dryness,  not 
more  than  three  hundred  have  survived. 

In  the  south,  where  the  rhododendrons  are  common,  they 
sometimes  reach  a  height  of  twenty-five  feet. 

SMOOTH  OR  TREE  AZALEA. 

Azalea  arborescens. 

FAMILY         COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Hcatk.  Rose.  Stucctiy  J'ragyant.  Georgia  northward.  June. 

Flowers  ;  growing  in  terminal  clusters,  and  appearing  after  the  leaves.  Ca- 
lyx :  five-toothed  ;  conspicuous.  Corolla  :  funnel-form  ;  of  five  somewhat  irreg- 
ular lobes  that  are  viscid.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  alternate; 
obovate  ;  glaucous  ;  pale  underneath.     A  shrub  that  varies  greatly  in  height. 

Spreading  over  the  mountains  of  Georgia  and  stretching  to 
the  northward  may  be  found  this  exquisite  rosy  species  that  has, 
besides  its  beauty,  a  rare  perfume.  It  seems  when  in  endow- 
ing this  shrub  as  though  Nature  had  been  in  one  of  her  lavish, 
sunshiny  moods.  It  can  be  taken  as  a  type  of  those  that  have 
been  collected  so  extensively  to  adorn  greenhouses. 

SHIN=LEAF.    {Plate  LXXXVI) 

Pyrola  clliptica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  White  tvith  a  green  tint.         Fragrant.  Mostly  north.  June^July. 

Flo^vers :  growing  on  a  scape  in  a  long,  wand-like  raceme;  nodding  at  the 
end.  Calyx :  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  ovate,  wax-like  petals.  Stamens  : 
ten.  Pistil :  one,  protruding  and  curved  ;  stigma,  five-divided.  Leaves  :  clus- 
tered at  the  base  of    the    plant;    rather   oval     petiolate ;    evergreen;    thin; 


RON.     Rhododendron  maxnnum. 


COPVnlGHT,    1899.    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERir*. 


PLATE  LXXXVI.     SHIN-LEAF.     Pyrola  elliptica, 
(165) 


i66    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

marked    with  a  dull,    flesh  colour.     Scape :   upright,   with  one,  or   two   scaly 
bracts. 

To  name  this  sweetly  pretty  plant,  shin-leaf,  is  very  much 
like  christening  a  little,  dimpled  baby,  Nehemiah.  It  would 
seem  as  though  both  were  slightly  inappropriate.  But  accord- 
ing to  the  dear  old  doctrine  of  signatures,  plants  should  be 
called  for  their  visible  uses  ;  and  as  the  leaves  of  these  plants 
were  long  ago  used  to  assuage  the  hurt  of  bruises,  they  came 
to  be  associated  with  shin-plasters.  Not  that  these  plasters 
were  held  in  reserve  for  the  shins  alone,  but  were  applied 
quickly  wherever  the  hurt  might  be. 

It  is  therefore  owing  to  the  efficacy  of  the  leaves  that  the 
gentle  blossoms  have  had  attached  to  them  so  plebeian  a  name. 

J^.  rotundifoUa^  round-leaved  wintergreen  is  a  sister  plant  of 
the  shin-leaf,  and  is  almond-scented.  It  has  numerous  bracts 
on  the  scape  and  its  leaves  are  thick  and  shiny.  It  is  found  in 
rather  more  open  woods.  There  is  another  variety  which  is 
rose-coloured  and  grows  in  bogs. 

F.  secilnda,  serrated  wintergreen  is  noticeable  on  account  of  its 
small,  green  flowers,  which  turn  to  one  side  of  the  stem.  It  is 
less  evergreen  than  the  preceding  species  and  has  the  thin,  dull 
leaves  of  the  shin-leaf. 

CREEPiNQ   WINTERGREEN.      MOUNTAIN  TEA. 

CHECKERBERRY.     {Plate  LXXXVII.) 

Gaultheria  prociinibens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.  IVkite.  Scentless.  Eastern  United  States.  July-Scptevirer. 

Flowers :  usually  one  or  more  ;  axillary  ;  nodding.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  bell-shaped,  with  five  points.  Stamens:  ten.  Pistil:  one,  to  the 
ovary  of  which  the  calyx  adheres  and  grows  fleshy  into  the  fruit,  which  ap- 
pears like  a  berry.  It  is  very  pretty,  round  and  red.  Leaves :  alternate  ;  oval; 
evergreen;  shiny.  Stem:  creeping  on  or  under  the  ground  and  sending  up 
erect  branches. 

Down  deep  in  every  heart  must  be  a  remembrance  of  the 
days  when  it  was  a  great  event  to  go  to  the  moist  meadows  for 
the  first  bunch  of  violets,  and  later  into  the  woods  for  a  hand- 
ful  of  wintergreen.     The   delicate  bloom    and    bright   berries 


i68     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

grow  together  in  the  late  season.  They  have,  in  common  with 
the  leaves,  a  pleasant  taste  and  afford  many  a  merry  meal  to 
animals  and  birds.  When  fate  decrees  that  they  shall  blush 
unseen  and  no  one  comes  by  to  pick  them,  they  simply  dry 
upon  the  stem  until  their  innate  wisdom  tells  them  that  the 
ground  is  ripe  for  sowing.  The  seeds  are  then  let  loose  and 
drop  into  the  ground.  The  Indian  knew  that  from  this  plant 
he  could  extract  something  to  soothe  his  aching  bones  ;  and  the 
white  man  is  now  doing  the  same  thing,  as  the  oil  of  winter- 
green  is  considerably  used  for  rheumatism. 

G.  Shdllon,  {Plate  LXXXVI II)  is  a  small  wintergreen  shrub  that 
is  not  very  generally  known,  as  it  confines  itself  to  the  pine  woods 
of  the  far  west.  It  spreads  gaily  over  the  ground  as  though  it 
had  no  other  object  in  life  than  to  make  the  air  spicy  and  fresh. 
The  waxy  flowers  grow  in  graceful  racemes  ;  and  the  glossy, 
ovate  leaves  appear  to  be  the  very  essence  of  healthful  vigour. 

SPICE=BUSH.     BENJAniN=BUSH.     FEVER=BUSH. 

Benzoin  Benzoin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Laurel.         Greenish  yellow.  Spicy.        Massachusetts  south-  March,  April. 

•ward  and  westward. 

Flowers :  both  staminate  and  pistillate,  with  a  four-leaved  involucre  under- 
neathj  clustered  along  the  branches  and  appearing  before  the  leaves.  Calyx  : 
of  six  sepals.  Corolla:  none.  Stamens:  nine,  in  the  sterile  blossoms.  Pistil- 
late flowers  with  a  rounded  ovary.  Fruit  :  an  oblong,  red  berry.  Leaves  ; 
alternate  ;  oblong  ;  on  short  petioles  ;  hairy  along  the  margins  and  having  an 
aromatic  flavour.     A  shrub  four  to  fifteen  feet  high  ,  with  brittle  branches. 

A  valuable  bush  of  the  moist  woods  and  thickets  and  one  of 
the  earliest  to  come  into  bloom.  Its  leaves  and  berries,  as  its 
name  spice-bush  implies,  have  often  performed  kindly  services 
for  housewives  that  live  at  a  great  distance  from  "the  store." 

INDIAN-PIPE.     GHOST  FLOWER.     CORPSE  PLANT. 

(F/afe  ZXXXIX.) 

Mondtropa  luii flora. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Indian-Pipe.  White.  Scentless.  General.  June,  July. 

Flowers  :  terminal ;  solitary  ;  nodding  ;  in  fruit  erect.     Calyx  :  of  two  to  four 


PLATE  lXXXVIII.     Gaultherta  Shallon, 
(169) 


170     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

scales.  Corolla  :  of  four  or  five  usually  bract-like  petals.  Slametis  :  eight  or  ten 
with  anthers  attached  horizontally  to  the  filaments,  Fisl/l  :  one;  stigma,five- 
rayed.  Fruil :  a  capsule,  which  after  flowering,  erects  itself.  Leaves :  white  and 
smooth  ;  more  truly  scales  than  leaves.  Stem  :  round  ;  smooth  ;  waxy  •  about 
eight  inches  high.     A'ools :  fibrous.  ' 

Few  plants  are  uncanny,  and  we  therefore  shiver  slightly 
when  we  take  hold  of  the  ghost-fiower,  which  is  so  clammy  and 
white.  It  further  annoys  us  by  turning  black  and  decomposing 
almost  instantly  after  having  been  touched.  Children  and  In- 
dians, whose  nerves  are  perhaps  more  hardy  than  those  of  or- 
dinary mortals,  delight  in  the  plant.  The  former  play  with  it, 
and  the  latter  have  some  way  of  using  it  supposedly  to 
strengthen  the  eyesight. 

The  whiteness  of  the  plant  is  owing  to  the  absence  of  all 
chlorophyll  grains,  or  green  colouring  matter  ;  and  it  may  not 
be  inappropriate  to  mention  here  that  it  is  through  the  chemi- 
cal change  of  these  grains  that  w^e  have  the  varied  tints  of  the 
autumn  foliage. 

FALSE  BEECH=DROPS.     PINE  SAP.     {F/afe  LXXXIX.) 
Hypopitys  HypSpitys. 

FAMILY  ^      COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Indian-Pipe.  Ecru  or  tawny.  Fragrant.  General.  June,  July. 

occasio?ially  red. 

This  is  a  closely  allied  plant  to  the  Indian-pipe.  The  differ- 
ence between  them  is  that  the  false  beech-drops  have  more 
flowers.  They  grow  in  a  one-sided  raceme  and  their  hue  is 
variable.  Both  plants  are  conspicuous  in  the  deep,  cool  woods 
of  summer. 


WILD  GINGER. 

Asariwi  Canadense, 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF    BLOOM 

Birthroot. 

Yellowish,  spotted 
•with  brown-purple. 

Scentless. 

Throughout  the 
northern  states. 

April,  Alay. 

Flowers :  solitary  ;  growing  towards  the  ground  on  a  slender  peduncle  in  the 
fork  of  the  tall  leaves.  Calyx:  bell-shaped;  three-lobed  ;  the  lobes  spread- 
ing;  acute.  Corolla:  Viow^.  Stamens :  \.\\t\\Q.  /'/j-/// ;  one,  with  six  spread- 
ing stigmas.     Fruit :  a   fleshy  capsule  that   bursts  and  scatters   many   seeds. 


PLATE  LXXXIX. 


(  INDIAN-PIPE.     Monotropa  nniflora. 

1  FALSE  BEECH-DROPS.     Hypopitys  Hypopitys 


COPYniGHT,    1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


Diagram  of  flower. 

PLATE  XC.     NEVINS'S  STONE  CROP.     Sedum  Nevii. 
(171) 


172     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

Leaves:    on   long  petioles;    broadly  and  deeply  reniform ;  veined;  velvety; 
pubescent.     Rootstock  :  thick  ;  creeping,  with  an  aromatic  flavour,  like  ginger. 

Like  the  idolatrous  Jews  that  buried  their  images  in  the 
earth,  where  they  had  to  be  dug  for  to  be  detected,  does  this 
plant  hide  its  flower  from  the  sight  of  men.  No  doubt,  it  has 
some  theory  in  so  doing  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  dis- 
cover ;  but  in  any  case,  it  has  not  kept  the  secret  of  its  hiding 
place  very  well,  as  every  country  child  knows  where  it  is  to  be 
found.  They  call  it,  moreover,  "little  brown  jug,"  and  this  is 
perhaps  what  has  offended  the  dignity  of  the  tall,  solemn-look- 
ing leaves.  When  it  is  taken  up  from  under  the  dried  leaves 
of  the  winter,  it  is  seen  to  be  very  pretty.  Owing  to  its  buried 
growth,  its  colouring  is  not  brilliant,  but  the  tones  are  those 
that  are  always  termed  genteel.  Naturally,  we  are  much  in- 
terested in  the  blossoms  as  a  quaint  little  character  of  marked 
originality. 


NEVINS'5  STONE  CROP.    HOUSELEEK.     (^Plate  XC.) 

Sediwi  Nevii. 

FAMILY         COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orpine.  White.  Scentless.        Mts.  of  Virginia  to  Alabama.  Aprils  May. 

Flowers :  sessile  and  scattered  along  the  recurved  branches  of  the  cyme. 
Calyx  :  of  five  linear  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  petals.  Stamens :  ten,  shorter 
than  the  petals,  with  brownish,  purple  anthers.  Pistils  :  five.  Leaves  :  those 
of  the  stem,  alternate  ;  linear;  scattered;  those  about  the  base,  obovate,  form- 
ing a  rosette  ;  glabrous. 

The  dear  houseleek  has  not  come  down  to  us  through  the 
ages  with  only  a  thought  of  its  own  pleasure.  It  has  ever  had 
it  in  mind  to  assuage  the  ills  of  mankind.  Nosebleed  is  ar- 
rested when  a  few  of  the  bruised  leaves  are  laid  upon  the  crown 
of  the  head  ;  and  if  applied  to  the  temples  severe  headaches  are 
greatly  soothed.  It  is  also  excellent  to  relieve  the  stings  of  in- 
sects. In  a  prim  little  manner  it  may  be  found  sitting  upon 
the  top  of  rocks  in  warm,  exposed  places,  where  the  sun  can 
pour  down  upon  it  as  generously  as  it  pleases. 


PLATEXCI.     AMERICAN  ORPINE.     Sedum  teleph  loides, 
(173) 


174      PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 


AMERICAN  ORPINE.     LIVE-FOR-EVER.     {Plate  XCI.) 

Sedum  tekphioides. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orpine.  Flesh  colour.  Scentless.  Georgia  northward.  June. 

Flowers :  growing  in  many-flowered,  compact  cymes.  Calyx :  of  four  or  five 
sepals.  Corolla:  of  four  or  five  lanceolate,  or  linear  petals.  Stamens:  ten. 
Fistils  :  five.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  obovate  ;  entire  ;  the  lower  ones  tapering  into 
a  petiole;  the  upper  ones  sessile.     Stem  :  erect ;  leafy ;  branching. 

In  common  with  its  relative  of  the  garden,  which  was  so 
cherished  by  our  grandmothers  and  so  disliked  by  the  farmers, 
the  wild  orpine  is  almost  indestructable.  The  price  of  land  en- 
ters very  little  into  the  calculations  of  the  garden  variety  and 
it  has  imbibed,  perhaps  from  the  farmer,  the  love  of  owning  all 
adjoining  territory.  It  is  very  difficult  of  extermination,  as  it 
lives  more  by  its  leaves  and  stalks  than  by  its  roots.  The  wild 
variety,  however,  chooses  mostly  to  cover  rocks  on  high  hills, 
which  property  we  do  not  begrudge  it,  as  the  bloom  is  ex- 
tremely fresh  and  pretty,  and  so  it  saves  itself  from  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  a  troublesome  weed. 

DUTCHMAN'S  BREECHES.     WHITE  HEARTS. 
SOLDIERS'  CAPS. 

BicuciiUa  Cucidlaria. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Fumitory.         White  and  yellow.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  April,  May. 

Flo7uers  :  growing  in  a  one-sided  raceme  on  a  naked  scape.  Calyx :  of  two 
scale-like  sepals.  Corolla  :  somewhat  heart-shaped,  of  four  closed,  cohering 
petals  ;  the  inner  ones  enclosing  the  anthers  and  stigma ;  the  two  outer,  larger 
ones  extending  into  widely  spreading  spurs  that  suggest  its  name.  Stamens  : 
six.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  from  the  base  ;  growing  on  slender  petioles  ;  thrice 
compound  and  irregularly  cut.  Scape:  slender;  smooth.  Rootstock :  a  scaly 
bulb ;  slightly  tuberous. 

When  the  soft,  warm  days  of  spring  load  the  air  with  a  subtle 

fragrance,  those  among  us  that  are  so  fortunately  placed  as  to 

make  it  possible,  wander  to  the  woods  in  search  of  its  early 

bloom.     And  there  we  find  the  Dutchman's  breeches.     Staid 

old  soul  as  the  Dutchman  is,  he  must  really  have  been  surprised 

at  the  naming  of  this  etherial  plant  after  his  trousers.     It  is 

true  that  under  mitigating  circumstances  they  have  gained  an 


PLATE  XCII.     SMOOTH  RUELLIA.     Ruellia  sirep^ 
(175) 


176    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

entrance  into  art,  but  never  before  have  they  been  known  to 
mingle  with  the  sweet  world  of  flowers.  The  plants,  however, 
would  scorn  any  idea  of  snobbery  ;  and  it  is  said  with  much 
trepidation  that  the  name  of  white  hearts  is  infinitely  prettier, 
and  it  would  seem  a  trifle  more  appropriate. 

We  know  that  we  ought  not  to  pick  these  quaint  blossoms  ; 
every  botany  in  the  land  will  tell  us  so.  We  should  leave  them 
to  be  visited  by  their  own  insects  and  to  be  cross-fertilized,  that 
the  species  may  continue  among  us.  But  we  sometimes  resist 
doing  just  what  is  right ;  and  sad  though  it  be,  it  is  certainly 
true  that  few  among  us  have  sufficient  hardihood  to  wander 
back  from  the  spring  woods  without  just  one  little  spray  of  this 
flower.  It  nods  to  us  all  the  way  home  ;  it  stimulates  our  inter- 
est in  all  that  grows  ;  and  it  looks  so  pretty  in  the  little  vase 
that  suits  it  well. 

SQUIRREL  CORN. 

Bicuciilla  Canadensis. 
These  little  pink  and  green  blossoms  are  nearly  related  to  the 
Dutchman's  breeches.     The  rootstock  bears  small  tubers  that 
are  not  unlike  grains  of  corn.     The  bloom  has  a  delicate,  hya- 
cinth-like fragrance.     Their  home  is  in  the  northern  woods. 

PALE  CORYDALIS. 

Capnoides  sempirvzreJts. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Fumitory.        Rose  pink  and  yellow.        Scentless.        North  and  south.        May-August. 

Flowers:  growing  in  loose  terminal  clusters.  Calyx:  of  two  scale-like  se- 
pals. Corolla  :  of  four  closed,  cohering  petals ;  the  upper  one  extending  into  a 
short  spur.  Slaf/ieus  :  six.  Pislil  :  one.  Pod :  long  and  slender.  Leaves  :  di- 
vided into  fine  leaflets  ;  pale  green  ;  glaucous.     Stetn  :  curving  ;  leafy. 

There  is  a  strong  family  resemblance  between  these  blossoms 
and  those  of  the  Dutchman's  breeches  ;  and  the  corydalis  is, 
perhaps,  a  little  more  delicate  species.  The  flowers  appear  like 
a  number  of  strange  sprites  that  have  come  from  somewhere, 
nobody  knows  where,  and  intend  resting  awhile  on  the  slender 
stem. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.     1,7 

SMOOTH  RUELLIA.     {Plate  XCII.) 
RuelUa  strepcns. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

^^^-  ^^«^-  Scentless.  Penn.  southtvard  May-July. 

and  ■west7vard. 

Flo2vers :  solitary,  or  a  few  together  growing  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Cm- 
lyx :  five-parted  with  narrow  segments.  Corolla:  salver-shaped,  five-lobed. 
Stamens  :  iom.  Pistil :  one,  with  a  recurved  style.  Leaves:  opposite  ;  lou"  • 
oblong  ;  on  petioles.     Stetn  :  erect ;  four-sided  ;  often  branched  ;  glabrous. 

This  large,  bold  flower  is  one  of  the  very  effective  ones 
found  in  the  thickets.  It  appears  to  be  quite  conscious  of  its 
beauty,  and  we  feel  that  it  intends  to  hold  fast  to  its  position  as 
guardian  of  the  leaves  no  matter  what  should  come  to  pass. 
Unfortunately,  its  range  is  not  farther  east  than  Pennsylvania. 

It  is  represented  in  colour  in  Plate  CXVIII. 

BLUE  COHOSH. 

Caulophylhwi  thalictroides. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Barberry.   Yellow  ish  green  or  purple.    Scentless.   Mostly  north  and  west.     April,  May. 

Flowers :  small  ;  growing  in  a  panicle  at  the  summit  of  the  stem.  Calyx  ; 
of  six  sepals,  having  four  short  bractlets  underneath.  Corolla:  of  six  kidney- 
shaped  petals  that  terminate  in  short  claws.  Stavieiis :  six.  Pistil:  onr. 
Fruit :  membranous,  with  a  pair  of  blue,  berry-like  seeds  on  thick  stalks,  wliiLh 
are  fleshy  when  ripe  and  glaucous.  Leaves  :  one  large  leaf,  thrice  compound  . 
and  one  or  two  smaller  ones  above.  Leaflets:  twice,  or  thrice  lobed;  whitish 
underneath.     Stem  :  smooth  ;  erect.     Rootstoek  :  thick. 

There  are  numerous  plants  that  we  pass  by  unheedingly  in 
the  spring-time  of  their  bloom,  and  that,  as  if  in  retaliation  f(u 
the  slight,  thrust  themselves  upon  our  attention  in  the  autumn, 
by  the  brilliancy  of  their  colouring  and  the  graceful  drooping  of 
their  fruit.  The  blue  cohosh  is  among  the  number.  And  when, 
towards  the  end  of  the  summer,  the  leaves  turn  yellow,  they 
call  loudly  with  the  blue  berries  for  the  admiration  that  was 
denied  to  the  plant  earlier  in  the  season.  It  is  fond  of  rich 
living,  and  seeks  its  home  in  dense  woods  where  the  leaf  mold 
covers  the  ground. 

The  Indian  herb  doctors  know  well  the  blue  cohosh  and  call 


178     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

it  pappoose-root,  which  rather  suggests  that  a  special  decoction 
of  it  is  held  in  reserve  for  the  black-eyed  little  copper-skins. 

YELLOW  LADY'S  SLIPPER.     {Plate  XCIII) 

Cypripediuin  hirsutum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis,  Yellow.  Scentless.        Mostly  north  and  east,  May^  June. 

Flowers  :  terminal ;  nodding  and  subtended  by  a  leaf-like  bract.  Sepals : 
long,  slender.  Lip  :  one  and  a  quarter  inches  broad,  veined  with  brown  and 
forming  an  inflated  pouch,  the  opening  to  which  is  a  rounded  orifice.  The 
two  side  petals  also  streaked  with  brown  ;  long  and  curling.  Leaves:  alter- 
nate ;  ovate  ;  clasping  ;  parallel-veined  ;  pubescent.  Stem  :  one  to  two  feet 
high ;  leafy  ;  downy.     Orchis  construction  page  64. 

The  colour  of  this  orchis  is  above  all  enchanting,  while  the 
coyness  of  its  shape  and  the  twirling  side  strings  breathe  out  the 
essence  of  coquetry.  There  is  an  alertness,  a  crispness  of 
expression  about  the  out-turned  toe  which  makes  us  fancy  it  is 
only  awaiting  the  waving  of  some  fairy's  wand  to  spring  out 
with  its  companions  and  mingle  in  a  gay  woodland  dance. 

On  the  wooded  hillsides  where  we  may  have  the  good  fortune 
to  find  it,  there  is  often  growing  in  close  proximity  to  it  the 
smaller  lady's  slipper,  C.  parviflorum.  It  is  of  a  deeper,  richer 
shade  of  yellow  and  has  the  added  charm  of  fragrance. 

The  name  Cypripedium  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  mean 
Venus's  buskin. 

MOCCASIN   FLOWER.      PINK  LADY'S  SLIPPER. 

{Plate  XCIV) 
Cypripedium  acaule. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.  Pink.  Fragrant.  Along  the  coast  and  May^June. 

■westward  to  Minn. 

Flowers :  large ;  terminal ;  nodding  and  subtended  by  a  leaf-like  bract. 
The  lip  forms  a  drooping  sac  an  inch  and  a  quarter  broad.  It  appears  to 
be  split  down  the  middle,  but  is  nearly  closed  ;  much  veined  with  a  darker 
shade  of  pink.  The  sepals  and  petals  vary  from  green  to  purple.  Leaves : 
two  at  the  base ;  sheathing  the  leafless  flower-stalk ;  ovate ;  many-veined. 
Rootstock :  thick. 

The  pink  lady's  slipper  shows  very  plainly  its  kinship  to  the 
pampered  darlings  of  the  conservatory.     It  is  a  more  languid 


V 


PLATE  XClll.     YELLOW   LADY'S   SLIPPER.      Cypripcdinm  hirsutum. 


COPYRrCHT,    1899,    BV  FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  XCIV.     MOCCASIN  FLOWER.     Cypripedium  acaule, 
(179) 


i8o    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

beauty  than  the  yellow  species  and  we  may  fancy  of  a  more 
sensitive  and  retiring  disposition.  It  is  shy  of  approaching  the 
haunts  of  men  but  rather  hides  in  the  seclusion  of  some  deep 
wood  or  forest,  where  its  loveliness  is  seen  by  the  croning  bee 
and  the  soughing  wind  only. 

As  the  lip  resembles  a  moccasin  much  more  than  a  slipper,  it 
would  seem  that  while  we  claim  the  yellow  one  for  our  own,  we 
should  resign  this  orchis  to  the  people  that  have  loved  it  so 
well.  Like  the  Indian,  it  is  becoming  rarer  every  year,  and  un- 
less we  respect  its  love  of  freedom  and  cease  from  carelessly 
picking  it,  we  shall  soon  find  that  like  him  it  has  vanished  from 
us  forever. 

SHOWY  ORCHIS. 

Orchis  spcctdbilis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.        Purplish  piiik.  Fragrant.        New  York  to  Georgia  Aprils  May. 

and  zuestivard. 

Flowers :  growing  loosely  in  a  terminal  spike.  The  sepals  and  petals  united 
and  forming  a  sort  of  crimson  purple  hood.  The  lip  white  and  projecting 
backward  into  a  short  spur.  Leaves :  two  ;  large, from  the  base  of  the  scape; 
ovate  ;  shiny. 

When  the  air  is  soft  and  sweet  in  the  early  spring  v^'oods  and, 
looking  first  to  one  side  and  then  to  the  other,  we  follow  some 
shaded  pathway  ;  it  may  be  that  we  shall  find  a  number  of  the 
showy  orchids.  They  are  not,  however,  showy  as  the  name 
would  have  us  believe  but  very  quaint  and  pretty.  The 
blossoms  have  queer  little  expressive  faces,  and  we  feel  like 
making  friends  with  them  at  once  and  not  standing  on  cere- 
mony as  would  be  most  natural  with  many  of  the  more  preten- 
tious members  of  their  family. 

GREAT  GREEN  ORCHIS. 

Habetiaria  orbiculata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.  Green  and  white.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  July. 

Flowers:  clustered  loosely  in  a  long  spike.  Corolla:  two-lipped;  the  lip 
white,  almost  linear,  drooping  and  without  a  fringe  ;   the  spur  one  and  a  half 


Single  Jloiver. 

PLATE  XCV.     STRIPED  CORAL-ROOT.     Corallorhiza  striata. 
(i8i) 


i82    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

inches  long,  curved  and  gradually  becoming  thicker.  Leaves :  two  only  ;  very 
large,  sometimes  a  foot  long,  at  the  bottom  of  the  scape  and  lying  flat  on  the 
ground  ;  almost  orbicular  ;  parallel-veined.     Scape  :    one  to  two  feet  high. 

This  peculiar  and  striking  orchis  protests  strongly  against 
the  July  sun  and  rears  itself  in  the  evergreen  woods,  or  on  the 
shaded  hillsides.  Its  colour  is  so  cool  and  tranquil  that  we 
wonder  it  has  not  chosen  to  dwell  by  the  side  of  a  brook,  where 
it  could  occasionally  dip  its  roots  in  the  water.  Darning- 
needles  have  a  warm  friendship  for  the  plant  and  guard  it  well, 
as  one  finds  sometimes  to  his  sorrow  when  seeking  to  gaze  at  it 
more  closely. 

STRIPED  CORAL-ROOT.     (P/ate  XCV,) 

Corallorhlza  striata. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis. 

Dark  purple. 

Scentless. 

Northward  across 
the  continent. 

June. 

Flowers :  growing  closely  in  a  terminal  raceme  on  a  stout  scape.  Sepals 
and  petals  almost  alike,  the  lip  being  broader  than  either  of  them.  Leaves  : 
none.  Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high  with  a  number  of  scale-like  appendages  at 
the  base.     Rootstock :  much  branched  and  toothed,  similar  to  that  of  coral. 

Unless  we  were  well  acquainted  with  the  family  traditions  of 
the  orchids  it  would  hardly  be  suspected  that  the  coral-root  is 
a  member  of  the  family.  But  intimacy  with  it  reveals  much,  as 
is  usually  the  case  with  most  plants.  It  is  far  from  being  well 
known  and  chooses  for  its  home  the  cool,  deep  woods  of  the 
north. 

C.  Multiflhra^  coral-root,  is  a  common  and  unattractive  mem- 
ber of  this  genus  which  is  found  in  rather  open  woods.  The 
flowers  are  small,  purplish  or  yellow,  and  grow  in  a  raceme.  As 
the  above  species,  it  is  without  green  foliage. 

Simply  that  a  plant  is  called  an  orchis  will  sometimes  cast 
abroad  the  impression  that  its  bloom  must  be  beautiful.  But 
the  orchis  family  is  no  different  from  other  families.  It  has  its 
plain  members  as  well  as  those  that  are  beautiful.  Each  one  is 
possessed  of  its  own  individuality  and  weaves  out  its  own 
destiny. 


PLATE  XCVI.     RATTLESNAKE    PLANTAIN.     Peranium  repens. 
(183) 


i84     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

RATTLESNAKE  PLANTAIN.     {Plate  XC VI.) 

Perh7iiu7n  rcpeiis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.  IVhlte.  Scentless.  Atlantic  states.  Late  summer. 

Flowers:  very  small;  arranged  loosely  on  one  side  of  a  tall  spike.  Lip, 
inflated.  Leaves :  from  the  base  and  lying  flatly  about  the  ground  in  a  circle  ; 
ovate ;  conspicuously  veined  and  spotted  with  a  light  shade  of  yellow,  almost 
white. 

This  upright,  delicate  stalk  of  tiny  white  flowers  suggests 
little  to  us  of  the  terrible,  brilliantly-coloured  monster  with 
flaming  eyes  and  upraised  fangs  for  which  it  has  been  named. 
But  it  springs  from  the  same  root  as  its  curious  leaves,  and  they 
are  supposed  to  have  a  peculiar  efficacy  in  curing  the  bites  of 
rattlesnakes.  The  Indians  are  credited  with  placing  great 
faith  in  them.  It  may  be  that  they  have  a  soothing  effect  on 
the  wound  :  but  once  let  the  two  honey-like  drops  of  venom 
that  the  snake  has  at  the  bottom  of  his  fang  be  interjected, 
and  the  little  white  blossoms  would  prove  as  effectual  in  restor- 
ing the  victim. 

P.piibescens  is  a  more  beautiful  variety,  as  its  flowers  grow  less 
on  one  side  of  the  spike  and  the  singular  mottling  of  the  leaves 
is  more  pronounced,  being  with  white  and  dark  green. 

CRINKLE=ROOT.     PEPPER=ROOT.     TOOTHWORT. 

Dentaria  diphylia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.  White.  Scentless.  liTaine  southward.  May. 

Flowers:  rather  large;  growing  in  a  terminal  corymb.  Calyx:  of  four 
sepals  that  fall  early.  Corolla  :  of  four  cruciferous  petals.  Stamens  :  six  ;  of 
which  two  are  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil:  one.  Pod :  '^dX;  lanceolate. 
Leaves:  two,  on  the  stem,  whorled  and  divided  into  three  toothed  leaflets. 
Rootstock  :  long  ;  fleshy  and  similar  in  taste  to  water-cress. 

There  is  always  a  crispness  and  freshness  about  the  mustards, 
meet  them  where  we  will.  Undoubtedly  among  themselves 
they  are  very  witty.  This  one  is  fond  of  rooting  in  leaf  mold 
and  we  would  sadly  miss  it  from  the  May  woods  if  some  day  it 
should  learn  the  trick  of  wandering  and  stray  from  us  far  away 


stamen.     Pt'sti!. 

PLATE  XCVIl.     BLOOD-ROOT.     Sanguinaria  Civnuhnsis. 
{'S5)     . 


i86     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 
HAIRY  ROCK-CRESS. 

Arabis  hirsuta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.     Whit*  tinted  with  green.         Scentless.     Mostly  northward.  May,  June. 

Flowers:  smz\\\  c\usitxed.  Calyx:  of  four  sepals  that  fall  early.  Corolla: 
of  four  cruciferous  petals.  Stamens:  six,  two  of  which  are  shorter  than  the 
others.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves :  numerous ;  saggitate.  Stem  :  quite  tall ; 
erect;  rough.     Pods:  linear. 

Another  little  flower  that  is  readily  recognised  as  one  of  the 
mustards.  It  is  not  as  luxurious  in  its  taste  as  the  preceding 
species  and  is  content  with  the  less  rich  soil  of  rocky  places 
and  hillsides. 

BLOOD-ROOT.     INDIAN  PLANT.     {FlaUXCVII.) 

Sanguinaria  Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

PopPy.         White  with  yellow  centre.  Scentless.  General.  April,  May. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary  ;  growing  on  a  naked  scape.  Calyx :  of  two 
sepals.  Corolla :  of  eight  to  twelve  petals.  Stamens :  numerous.  Pistil : 
one.  Fruit:  an  oblong  pod.  Leaf:  one  only,  from  the  base;  rounded; 
palmately-lobed ;  veined.  Rootstock  :  fleshy  and,  as  the  stalks,  containing  a 
blood-red  juice. 

The  blossom  of  the  blood-root  is  one  of  the  most  carefully 
guarded  of  Nature's  children.  Its  sweet  loveliness  is  not  thrust 
ruthlessly  upon  the  world  to  make  its  way  the  best  it  can. 
The  leaf  is  carefully  wrapped  about  the  flower  bud,  and  not 
until  the  former  is  assured  of  the  temperature  and  the  fitness 
of  the  surroundings,  does  it  unfold  and  allow  the  scape  to 
stretch  upward  bearing  the  beautiful  flower.  And  how  fair  it  is 
only  those  can  know  that  have  seen  it  unfold  its  pure,  spotless 
petals.  Indeed,  it  is  too  fragile  for  the  rocky  hillsides.  The 
winds  carry  off  its  petals  and  those  that  seek  it  often  sigh  to  find 
it  has  already  perished. 

It  seems  strangely  incongruous  that  the  fluid  of  this  plant 
with  its  unusually  pure  blossom  should  have  been  used  so  ex- 
tensively by  the  Indians  to  decorate  their  faces. 


PLATE   XCVIll.     GROUND,   OR    MOSS,   PINK.     Phlox  sulmlata. 


COPYRfGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.     187 

WILD  PHLOX. 

Phlox  divaricata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Polemonium.     Pale  lilac  or        Slightly  fragrant.        New  York  west-  Aprils  May. 

blue.  ward  and  s out hivard. 

Flmvers :  large,  over  an  inch  broad ;  terminal,  in  loose  cymose  clusters. 
Calyx  :  of  five  pointed  sepals.  Corolla  :  salver-form  ;  of  five  round  lobes 
that  extend  into  a  slender  tube,  and  have  an  eye  of  a  darker  colour.  Stamens: 
five;  unequal,  in  the  tube  of  the  corolla,  with  deep  orange  anthers.  Pistil': 
one;  stigma,  three-lobed.  Leaves:  lanceolate;  opposite;  entire.  Stem:  a 
foot  to  eighteen  inches  high ;  erect ;  spreading. 

There  is  so  great  a  similarity  between  the  wild  phlox  and 
the  cultivated  forms  of  the  plant  that  when  we  meet  it  in  the 
moist  woods  we  are  just  a  little  surprised,  and  feel  inclined  to 
ask  if  it  is  enjoying  its  stroll  away  from  the  garden.  It  has 
such  a  complacent  expression,  however,  that  we  hesitate  and 
pursue  our  own  way  feeling  sure  that  if  it  has  strayed  away 
from  home  it  will  find  its  way  back  again,  unaided. 

P.  maculata,  or  wild  sweet  william,  as  it  is  commonly  known, 
is  a  purplish-pink  variety.  Its  flowers  grow  in  panicles  and  the 
leaves  are  rather  heart-shaped  at  the  base.  The  stem  is  con- 
spicuously dotted  with  purple.  It  grows  in  rocky  ground  and 
blooms  a  little  later  in  the  season  than  the  above  species. 

GROUND  OR  MOSS  PINK.     {Plate  XCVIIL) 

Phlox  subuldta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Polemonium,    Pink.,  purple  or  white.     Scentless.     New  England  south-        April-June. 

ward  and  westzvard. 

Flowers  :  on  pedicels;  growing  in  terminal  racemes.  Calyx  :  of  five  narrow 
lobes.  Corolla:  with  five  obovate  lobes,  notched  at  the  apex.  Stamens  :  five, 
unequal,  in  the  throat  of  the  corolla.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  three-lobed. 
Leaves:  scattered;  lanceolate;  pubescent.  Stem:  creeping;  rising  slightly 
from  the  ground. 

It  may  be  imagined  how  lovely  is  the  hillside  where  this 
little  plant  spreads  a  carpet  of  its  soft  bloom.  The  mingling  of 
the  many  colours  and  the  dark  eyes  that  peep  out  coquettishly 
seem  as  though  they  were  coaxing  one  to  stop  and  play  with 
them  awhile. 

The   plant   requires   little    moisture,   and    in    a    time    of    a 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

Honeysuckle. 

White. 

Scentless. 

New  England  to  North 
Carolina. 

i88     PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

drought,  when  the  earth  was  almost  cracking  for  want  of  rain, 
they  were  noticed  to  be  the  only  flowers  on  a  sterile,  rocky 
hillside  that  were  not  languishing. 

HOBBLE=BUSH.     AMERICAN  WAYFAR1NQ=TREE. 

{Plate  XCIX.) 

Viburnum  alnifblhwi, 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

May. 

The  blossoms  of  this  large  shrub  are  similar  to  those  of  V. 
Opulus,  page  ii8,  and  very  like  those  of  the  garden  hydrangea. 
The  neuter  flowers  with  large  flat  corollas  are  arranged  about 
the  fertile  ones  within  the  centre.  The  bright  scarlet  fruit  is 
not  edible. 

The  leaves  are  orbicular,  pointed  and  heart-shaped  at  the 
base,  serrated  ;  pinnately-veined,  and  covered  with  a  rough, 
reddish  scurf. 

The  name  wayfaring-tree  is  appropriate,  as  it  is  very  wan- 
dering in  its  manner  of  growth,  the  outstretched  branches 
often  forming  loops  and  rooting  themselves  in  the  ground.  In 
the  cold,  moist  woods  of  the  north  the  tree  is  well  known. 

FLY=HONEYSUCKLE. 

Lonicera  cilia  la. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Honeysuckle.         Greenish  yelloiv.         Scentless.         North  and  luestward  May. 

to  Minnesota. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  pairs  on  slender  peduncles  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
Calyx  :  of  five  short  teeth.  Corolla  :  funnel-form  ;  five-lobed  ;  spurred  at  the 
base.  Statu  e  71  s  :  five.  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  red,  egg-shaped  berry.  Leaves: 
on  petioles  ;  ovate  ;  sometimes  heart-shaped  at  the  base,  the  margins  slightly 
fringed  with  hairs.     A  shrub  ;  branching,  with  bark  of  a  dull  grey  colour. 

Evidently  the  fly-honeysuckle  has  not  been  brought  up  on 
the  old  adage  that  blood  is  thicker  than  water  ;  as  it  has  reck- 
lessly cast  off  its  family  resemblance.  The  regularity  of  the 
corolla  and  its  wide  mouth  are  quite  different  from  the  slender, 
tubular,  two-lipped  forms  of  the  cultivated  species  to  which  it 
is  nearly  allied.  It  has,  moreover,  a  very  pert  and  saucy  look 
and  flourishes  best  in  the  rocky  woods  of  the  north. 


PLATE  XCiX.     HOBBLE-BUSH       / 'iburmmi  aln ijolinm. 


COPYRIGHT,   1899,   BY  FREDERICK  »     STOKES  COMPAt** 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  C.     TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE.     Lonicera  sem^ervirens 

(189) 


190    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 


TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE.     {Plate  C.) 

Lonicera  seinpervireyis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Honeysuckle.  Red,  without ;        Scentless.        Mass.  southward.        May-October, 

yellow  within. 

Flowers :  axillary ;  clustered  in  spiked  whorls.  Calyx :  five-toothed.  Corolla  : 
trumpet-shaped;  five-lobed.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  round, 
red  berry.  Leaves :  opposite ;  oval  ;  clasping  at  the  base,  the  upper  ones 
united  about  the  stem  ;  glossy  ;  thick  ;  nearly  evergreen.     A  shrub ;  climbing. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  unique  of  the  family.  The  clasping 
leaves  seem  to  be  a  series  of  difficulties  through  which  the  blos- 
soms have  triumphantly  passed. 

Z.  Japdnica^  Japanese  honeysuckle,  or  woodbine,  is  the  variety 
that  is  most  frequently  chosen  for  cultivation.  Its  blossoms 
are  white,  or  yellow,  and  the  tubular  corolla  is  long,  with  pro- 
truding stamens  and  style. 

Few  flowers  can  vie  with  it  in  delightful  fragrance,  and  this 
has  no  doubt  had  much  to  do  with  the  fondness  that  poets  have 
felt  for  it.  The  name  woodbine  alludes  to  the  way  it  has  of 
entwining  itself  with  some  near  object,  "as  though  in  wed- 
lock." It  gives  freely  as  well  as  receives  ;  for  the  rock  or 
tree  that  gives  it  support  is  made  by  it  a  bower  of  beauty.  In 
climbing  it  turns  from  east  to  west,  and  for  its  home  chooses 
the  quietude  of  the  rocky  woodlands. 

BUSH  HONEYSUCKLE. 

Dz'er villa  Dier villa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Honeysuckle.       Yellow,  sometimes      Fragrant.     New  England  S07ith-  May,  June, 

tinged  with  red.  ward  and  westward. 

Flowers:  axillary ;  growing  in  groups  of  threes  at  the  summit  of  the  stems. 
Calyx:  small,  with  five  very  short  teeth.  Corolla:  funnel-form;  of  five  un- 
equal, recurved  lobes,  the  larger  one  having  a  rich  nectar-bearing  gland  at  the 
base  and  being  more  highly  coloured  than  the  others.  Stamens  :  five :  pro- 
truding. Pistil :  one  ;  style,  long  ;  protruding.  Leaves  :  opposite  ;  on  petioles  ; 
elliptical ;  serrated  ;  smooth.  A  shrub  two  to  four  feet  high ;  with  highly  col- 
oured bark. 

We  may  hardly  flatter  ourselves  that  the  lower  lobe  of  the  co- 


PLATE  CI.    TWIN-FLOWER.    LittncEa  boreahs. 
(191) 


192    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

rolla  of  D.  Diervilla  has  been'so  highly  coloured  simply  to  please 
our  artistic  sense.  It  is  to  inform  Master  Bee  that  they  are  a 
rich  family  worthy  of  his  attention,  and  that  they  have  a  gland 
full  of  nectar  awaiting  him.  Of  course,  in  inviting  him  thus 
cordially  to  their  feast,  he  is  supposed  to  return  the  civility  by 
leaving  for  them  a  little  package  of  pollen  at  a  friend's  house 
on  his  way  home.  But  Master  Bee,  like  the  rest  of  us,  has  his 
moods,  and  when  he  is  feeling  very  wicked  he  just  pierces  the 
gland  from  the  outside  with  his  sharp  little  bill,  and  calmly  sips 
away  without  so  much  as  a  "  thank  you  "  in  return. 

TW1N=FL0WER.     {Plate  CI,) 

Liniika  borealis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Ho7ieysuckle.        Rose.         Fragrant,  like  almonds.  Mostly  north.  June. 

Flowers:  terminal  in  pairs;  nodding;  borne  on  individual  thread-like  flower- 
stalks  that  terminate  in  a  common  peduncle.  Calyx:  small;  five-toothed. 
Corolla:  bell-shaped,  with  five  rounded  lobes;  hairy  within.  Stamens:  four  ; 
two  longer  than  the  others.  Pistil:  one;  protruding.  Leaves:  opposite;  on 
petioles  ;  round  ;  shining,  evergreen  ;  rising  from  the  stem.  Sleju  :  trailing ; 
decumbent. 

The  serene  sweetness  of  these  little  twin  blossoms  has  at- 
tracted to  them  many  lovers.  Linnaeus,  with  his  abundant 
knowledge  of  the  flowers,  loved  them  better  than  any  other  and 
Gronovius  bestowed  upon  them  his  family  name.  It  would 
seem  as  though  they  exhaled  the  helpful  love  of  a  brother  and 
sister  which  blooms  with  refreshed  vigour  every  springtime. 

The  following  tale  is  told  of  Linnseus  in  connection  with  his 
fondness  for  them. 

A  friend  gathering  a  small  flower  on  the  shore  of  a  Swedish 
lake  asked  the  great  botanist  if  it  were  L.  borealis. 

"  Nay,"  said  the  philosopher,  "she  lives  not  here,  but  in  the 
middle  of  our  largest  woods.  She  clings  with  her  little  arms 
to  the  moss,  and  seems  to  resist  very  gently  if  you  force  her 
from  it.  She  has  a  complexion  like  the  milk-maid  ;  and  oh  ! 
she  is  very,  very  sweet  and  agreeable." 


PLATE  CI  1.     WHITE  ABRONIA.     Abro7iia  fragrans, 
(193) 


194    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

SMOOTHER  SWEET=CICELY. 

Washmgtoma  longistylis. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIMEOFBLO 

Parsley. 

IVhite. 

Root,  scented  like 
anise. 

North,  southward 
and  westward. 

May.,  June. 

Flowers:  small;  growing  in  umbels  with  bracts  underneath.  Calyx:  five- 
toothed.  Corolla:  of  five  petals.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one,  with  two  long 
styles.  Leaves:  thrice-compound;  leaflets;  ovate;  deeply  toothed;  downy. 
Stem  :  one  to  three  feet  high ;  hairy.  Root :  aromatic  ;  sweet-scented ;  edi- 
ble. 

The  sweet-cicely  has  a  rather  hard  lot  in  life.  It  is  a  grace- 
ful, delicate  plant,  and  the  gifts  of  its  rootstock  are  those  that 
please  mankind  rather  than  do  him  harm  ;  and  yet,  indirectly 
it  has  been  the  cause  of  much  suffering.  Unfortunately  it 
bears  so  strong  a  likeness  to  the  deadly  water-hemlock  (Plate 
VI)  that  the  latter  is  being  constantly  mistaken  lor  it,  with  fatal 
results.  A  close  comparison  of  the  two,  however,  will  show 
that  in  character  they  are  quite  different.  The  sweet-cicely  is 
found  mostly  in  the  rich  woods. 

Its  generic  name  commemorates  George  Washington. 


WHITE  ABRONIA.     {Plate  CIL) 

Abrb7iia  fragrans. 

FAMILY        COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Four  o" clock.     Whitt.    Fragrant.,  like  vanilla.     The  Rocky  Mountains.       June.,  July. 

Flowers:  growing  in  dense  umbel-like  clusters.  Involucre:  of  five  heart- 
shaped,  whitish  bracts,  thin  and  dry.  Calyx  :  salver-form  ;  the  tube  long,  and 
spreading  into  a  petal-like  border ;  the  lobes  notched  at  the  apex.  Corolla: 
none.  Stamens:  two  to  five,  included.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  opposite; 
lance-ovate,  with  a  pair  of  stipules  at  the  base.     Stem  :  branching. 

The  scientific  name  of  this  flower  when  translated  is  *'  deli- 
cate fragrance  "  ;  and  we  may  fitly  associate  the  words  with  it 
in  connection  with  its  English  title.  In  appearance  it  suggests 
much  more  the  growth  of  the  greenhouse  than  that  of  a  hardy 
dweller  of  the  Rockies.  The  flower  opens  at  sunset  only,  when 
it  ladens  the  air  with  its  luscious  perfume. 


Calyx^  Stamens  and  Pistil, 

PLATE  cm.    WHITE  BEARD'S  TONGUE.    Pejitstcmo7i  DigitaHs. 

(195) 


196      PLANTS  GROWING  TN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

CATALPA.     INDIAN  BEAN.     CANDLE=TREE. 

Cat  dip  a  Catdlpa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Trumpet-creeper.        IVhite^  dotted  Fragrant^  and  Gulf  states.,  June.,  July, 

"with  yelloiv ;  leaves  strongly  northward, 
purple  inside.              scented. 

Ficnvers:  growing  in  terminal  panicles.  Calyx:  irregular,  or  two-lipped. 
Corolla :  campanulate ;  two-lipped,  with  five  spreading,  crimped  lobes. 
Staniem  :  three  short,  or  occasionally  four  perfect  in  pairs,  two  of  which  are 
shorter  than  the  others  ;  and  one  sterile  stamen  present.  Pistil :  one.  Pods : 
very  long  ;  linear  ;  hanging.  Leaves  :  on  petioles  ;  ovate  ;  pointed  ;  entire  or 
three-lobed  ;  glabrous  above  ;  downy  underneath.  A  tree  twenty  to  thirty 
feet  high. 

It  was  said  by  an  old  darkey  :  "  dat  he  felt  all  de  light  ob  de 
heavens  shinin'  down  fru  his  head  wheneber  he  sat  under  de 
catalpa  tree  ;  and  dat  all  de  other  times  was  darkness." 

Surely  the  beautiful  tree  could  have  had  no  tribute  paid  to  it 
which  would  have  been  more  sincere  and  toucliing. 

WHITE  BEARD'S  TONGUE.     {F/ale  GUI.) 
Pe7itsth)i07i  Digitalis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figivort.     White.,  tinged      Scentless.     New  York  to  Virginia    Late  spring  and  summer, 
with  purple.  and  "westward. 

Flowers :  clustered  in  a  loose  panicle.  Calyx:  of  five  green,  pointed  sepals. 
Corolla:  bell-shaped  ;  two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip,  two-lobed,  the  lower  one,  three- 
lobed  and  slightly  spreading;  inflated.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one  ;  stigma, 
two-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite;  lanceolate.  Stem:  sometimes  growing  very 
high  ;  erect ;  smooth. 

The  open  mouth  of  these  pretty  flowers  gives  them  a  comical 
expression  as  though  they  were  about  to  speak  ;  and  the  effect 
is  heightened  by  the  bearding  of  the  sterile  stamen,  which  looks 
like  a  saucy  little  tongue.  In  the  west  they  are  among  the  at- 
tractive blossoms  of  rocky  places. 

HAIRY  BEARD'S  TONGUE. 

Pe7itstemon  hirsiitus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.     Lilac  and  white.      Scentless.     Northward  from  the  south.  Summer. 

Flowers:  nodding  ;  growing  in  a  panicle.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  : 
two-lipped;  dilated  ;  similar  to  that  of  the  above.  Stamens:  four  fertile  and 
oMc  sterile  which  is  heavily  bearded  with  yellow.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  opposite  ; 
lanceolate.     Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high;  rather  clammy. 


Flower  laid  open 
showing  stamens. 


PLATE  CIV.     Pentstcmo7t  Neiuberryz. 
(197) 


198    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

Although  not  a  common  plant,  we  are  sometimes  so  fortunate 
as  to  find  the  beard's  tongue  on  rocky  hillsides,  or  in  the  wood 
borders.  Its  beard  is  even  handsomer  than  that  of  the  western 
variety. 

P.  Newberryi  (Plate  CIV)  is  a  pretty  variety  that  is  found 
growing  on  rocks  in  the  far  west.  It  is  clearly  presented  by 
the  illustration. 

CULVER'S  ROOT. 

Septdndra    Virginica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figtvort.  White.  Scentless.  Vertnont  westward  June-September. 

and  southward. 

Flowers :  growing  in  terminal,  dense,  spike-like  racemes.  Calyx :  four  or 
five-toothed.  Corolla  :  tubular  ;  the  tube  long,  four  or  five-lobed.  Stamens  : 
two ;  protruding.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves:  on  short  petioles  ;  lanceolate  ;  whorled ; 
serrate.     Stem  :  three  to  eight  feet  high  ;  erect ;  stiff. 

The  height  to  which  this  plant  grows  is  always  a  source  of 
wonderment.  It  is  not  an  inherited  trait,  as  none  of  the  mem- 
bers of  its  immediate  family  is  so  tall.  Perhaps  it  simply  longs 
to  peep  over  the  top  of  the  trees  that  grow  near  it  in  the  cool 
woods  or  to  call  attention  to  itself  when  it  blooms  in  the  mead- 
ows.    The  plant  is  also  called  Culver's  physic  and  Black-root. 

WILD  BERQAMOT. 

Mondrda  fistulbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.        Rose  purple.,  or        Leaves^  fragrant.         Mass.  southward  June-August, 

white.  and  westward. 

Flowers:  growing  in  a  terminal  head.  Calyx:  tubular  ;  five-toothed  ;  hairy 
in  the  throat.  Stamens :  two,  protruding.  Pistil :  one  ;  style,  protruding,  two 
lobed  at  the  apex.  Leaves  :  opposite  ;  lanceolate  ;  slightly  heart-shaped  at  the 
base ;  toothed  and  veined.  As  they  approach  the  flower  they  take  the  colour  of 
the  corolla. 

Unlike  the  Oswego  tea,  the  whole  of  which  plant  is  delight- 
fully fragrant  even  down  to  the  roots,  and  which  will  emit  a 
strong  scent  after  the  bloom  and  leaves  have  dried  away, 
the  foliage  alone  of  the  wild  bergamot  is  fragrant.  The  plant 
is  a  rather  coarse  one,  but  very  effective.     It  blooms  luxuri- 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

Gentian. 

Rose  pink. 

Scentless. 

New  York  southward 
and  westtvard. 

PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.    199 

antly  in  its  tufted  heads,  and  when  picked  will  remain  fresh  in 
water  for  a  long  time.  How  often  it  has  been  the  fate  of  these 
leaves  to  be  tossed  in  a  bottle  with  a  little  alcohol  ;  and  after- 
wards  as  perfume  to  have  added  to  the  charms  of  a  village 
belle.     Oswego  tea,  Plate  LXII. 

BITTER=BLOOn.     ROSE=PINK. 

Sabbdtia  angularis. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 
July,  A  ugiist. 

Fimvers  :  large;  growing  in  panicled  clusters.  Ca/yx :  of  five  linear  sepals. 
Ct;;W/a ;  five-parted.  Slamens  :  five.  Pistil:  one  ;  style,  two-cleft.  Leaves: 
opposite ;  ovate ;  clasping  at  the  base ;  rather  heart-shaped.  Stem  :  four- 
angled;  much  branched  at  the  top. 

Growing  abundantly  in  the  rich  soil  of  the  thickets  these 
bright,  rosy  blossoms  appeal  to  us  as  very  beautiful.  There  is, 
however,  a  straight  laced,  angular  expression  about  their  petals 
which  may  have  been  the  cause  of  their  choosing  a  dwelling  so 
far  away  from  their  charming  relatives  of  the  swamps.  S.  stel- 
lariSf  S,  dodecandra  and  S.  campanulata^  page  72,  (Plate  XXXI.) 

STIFF  GENTIAN.     FIVE-FLOWERED  GENTIAN. 

Gentidna  quiJiquefblia. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Gentian. 

Blue. 

Scentless. 

North  and  west,  south- 
ward to  Florida. 

Scptetnber. 

Flowers:  growing  in  panicles  at  the  summit  of  the  stem  and  branches,  dx- 
lyx  :  of  five,  linear  lobes.  Corolla  :  funnel-form  ;  with  five  lobes,  terminat- 
ing in  a  little  point  or  bristle.  Stamens  :  five.  Pistil :  one;  stigmas,  two. 
Zmz/^j;  opposite  ;  ovate;  slightly  heart-shaped  at  the  base  ;  clasping.  Stem: 
slender ;  branching. 

We  always  welcome  any  one  of  the  gentians  with  pleasure  ; 
for  they  are  a  family  of  rare  taste  and  beauty.  How  bright  and 
cheery  they  look  to  us  in  the  late  season,  when  the  slight  chill 
in  the  air  begins  to  remind  us  that  the  summer  has  passed. 
They  then  seem  to  spring  up  and  say,  "  No,  not  yet." 

G.  quinquefolia  resembles  somewhat  the  closed  gentian  in  its 
manner  of  growth  ;  but  it  has  opened  its  lobes  a  little  way  and 


200    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

it  is  a  smaller,  more  delicate  variety.  It  is  very  partial  to  the 
mountains  for  its  home,  although  it  visits  sometimes  in  the 
wood  borders. 

WOOD=SORREL.     {Plate  CV.) 

Oxalis  Acetosella. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Oxalis.        Whiie^veined  with  deep  pink.     Scentless.         Mostly  north.  June.,  July. 

Flotvers  :  terminal ;  solitary ;  growing  on  slender  scapes.  Ca/j/x  :  of  five 
green  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  obcordate  petals  with  a  deep  magenta  eye  and 
yellow  centre.  Staitiens  :  ten.  Pistil  :  one,  five-divided.  Leaves  :  from  the 
root ;  of  three  obcordate  leaflets  ;  glabrous.  Scape  :  slender.  Rootstock  :  scaly ; 
toothed ;  creeping. 

One  of  the  beauties  of  the  deep  woods  is  the  fresh,  bright 
clusters  of  wood-sorrel  which  seem  to  delight  in  the  shady 
coolness.  Happy,  complacent  little  flowers  they  are  with  no 
disturbing  elements  about  either  their  bloom  or  their  leaves. 
Probably  this  is  because  they  do  not  subject  themselves  to  any 
of  the  evils  of  dissipation.  Early  in  the  evening  their  leaves 
fold  backward  and  they  sleep  until  bright  gleams  of  sunlight 
pierce  through  the  tree-tops  and  remind  them  that  the  day  has 
come. 

The  plants  bear  cleistogamous  blossoms  which  are  fruitful. 

VIOLET  WOOD=SORREL. 

Oxalis  violdcea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Oxalis.  Violet.  Scentless.  Southivard.  June. 

Flowers  :  several ;  growing  on  a  scape.  Calyx:  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  :  of 
five  petals.  Stamens :  ten  ;  of  different  lengths.  Pistil :  one  ;  styles,  five. 
Leaves:  from  the  root;  divided  into  three  rounded,  obcordate  leaflets.  Scape: 
leafless;  from  a  bulbous  rootstock. 

Even  after  the  bloom  has  passed,  the  leaves  of  these  plants 
are  so  extremely  pretty  that  they  are  frequently  sought  for  to 
be  potted  and  kept  in  the  house  throughout  the  winter.  They 
are  found  in  more  rocky  woods  than  the  O.  Acetosella,  and  are 
fond  of  a  balmy,  warm  climate. 


PLATE  CV.     WOOD  SORREL.     Oxalis  Acetosella. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL.    201 

HERB  ROBERT. 

Gerd7i iu m  Robertii i n  nm . 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIMEOFbLOOM 

Geranium.        Purplish  pink.         Strong  Jragrance.     Common  7iorth.         June-October. 

Flowers :  growing  singly,  or  in  clusters  at  the  ends  of  the  flower-stalks.  Calyx: 
tubular  ;  of  five  sepals.  Corolla  :  small ;  salver-form  ;  of  five  spreading  lobes. 
Slam  ens :  ten.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  five.  Leaves:  pinnately  divided  twice  or 
thrice  into  deeply  incised  leaflets  ;  hairy.     Steyn  :  highly  coloured ;  hairy. 

This  plant  came  prominently  to  the  notice  of  royalty  during 
the  time  of  Robert's  plague.  It  was  then  supposed  to  achieve 
many  cures,  and  was  named  after  Robert  of  Normandy. 

It  is  one  that  by  the  bursting  of  its  pods  scatters  its  seeds  to 
a  very  great  distance. 

WITCH=HAZEL. 

Hamamelis  Virginidna. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  T'ME  OF  BLOOM 

Witch-hazel.         Yellow.         Slightly       New  England  to  Florida      September-November, 
fragrant.  and  westward. 

Flowers:  few;  growing  in  an  axillary  cluster  on  short  peduncles;  sessile. 
Calvx  :  four-parted,  with  bractlets  underneath.  Corolla  :  of  four  almost  linear 
petals  ;  often  twisted.  Stamens  :  eight ;  four  perfect ;  the  others  without  anthers. 
Pistils:  two.  Fruit:  an  edible  nut  that  matures  the  next  season.  Leaves: 
alternate  ;  oval  ;  wavy  on  the  edges  ;  slightly  downy.  A  shrub  with  several 
branching,  crooked  trunks  from  the  root. 

Whether  the  witch-hazel  has  simply  forgotten  to  provide  it- 
self with  a  calendar,  or  whether  it  has  the  revolutionary  spirit 
which  would  turn  the  world  topsy-turvy,  is  still  an  open  ques- 
tion. But  to  those  that  are  bent  on  investigation  a  gentle  hint 
may  be  given  that  the  evidence  is  all  in  the  latter  direction. 
Otherwise  why  should  it  allow  the  spring  and  lovely  summer  to 
glide  by  without  making  -them  any  greeting  and  wait  until  the 
late  autumn,  when  the  leaves  are  falling,  to  put  out  its  pale  yel- 
low bloom.  The  seeds  mature  the  next  summer,  which  is  noth- 
ing more  than  an  audacious  reversal  of  the  orthodox  order  of 
things.     The  witch-hazel  makes  a  plaything  of  the  seasons. 

It  is  well  charged  with  ammunition  too,  and  once  fired  it  at 
Mr.  Hamilton  Gibson,  who  has  told  most  amusingly  of  his  ren- 


202    PLANTS  GROWING  IN  RICH  OR  ROCKY  SOIL. 

centre  with  the  shrub.  When  standing  lost  in  admiration  of 
it,  he  found  himself  wounded  first  on  the  cheek  and  then  in 
the  eye.  In  alarm  he  looked  about  for  a  hidden  adversary  and 
discovered  it  was  the  seeds  of  the  witch-hazel  which  were 
bursting  out  from  their  coverings  and  shooting  in  all  directions, 
he  noticed  to  a  distance  of  forty  feet. 

Again  there  is  supposed  to  be  some  latent  mysterious  power 
about  the  twigs,  which  in  remote  parts  of  the  country  are  still 
used  as  divining  rods  and  to  locate  the  presence  of  water 
underground.  We  feel  a  little  more  comfortable  about  the 
shrub,  however,  when  we  remember  that  the  extract  from  it  is 
very  domestic. 


Plants   Growing  in  Light  Soil :    Open 

Woods. 


Perhaps  it  is  the  lively  spring  wind  that  wakes  the  flowers 
in  the  open  woods,  and  laughs  loudly  while  they  take  their 
places.  They  creep  in  as  quietly  as  spirits ,  and  seek  the  spots 
where  they  will  be  warm  in  the  sunshine  that  falls  through 
the  trees  and  stains  them  with  a  ruddy  richness.  The  dew 
absorbs  their  fragrance  and  lingers  lovingly  about  as  though 
loth  to  seek  the  sky.  Knowijig  birds  weave  their  nests  beside 
tJiem  and  peep  out  a  sharp,  round  eye  to  see  if  any  harm  is 
near.  The  whole  commimity  know  the  country  boy  a  little 
better  than  do  those  of  the  deep  woods ;  but  they  are  not 
afraid,  and  cajole  him  with  their  merri7nent, 

PYXIE.     FLOWERING  flOSS. 

Pyxidanthera  barbuldta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Diapensiacecs.      White  or  pink.      Scentless.      NeTu  Jersey  southward.  March-May. 

Flcnuers :  small  ;  sessile  on  delicate  branches.  Calyx:  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  of  five  petals.  Sta?nens :  five.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  three-lobed. 
Anthers:  opening  like  the  lid  of  a  little  box.  Leaves  ;  lanceolate  ;  pointed; 
scale-like  ;  pubescent.     Stem  :  prostrate  ;  creeping. 

Little  can  be  imagined  that  is  more  truly  sweet  and  dainty 
than  the  flowering  moss  which  begins  to  creep  through  the  pine 
woods  just  as  the  spring  is  opening.  When  handled  it  is  found 
to  possess  quite  an  amount  of  vigour  ;  and  the  anthers  under 
a   microscope  are  a   revelation.     Each  one  is  a  tiny  box  and 


204  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

opens  by  a  lid.     From  this  fact  is  the  significance  of  its  generic 
name. 


TRAILING  ARBUTU5.     MAYFLOWER.     GROUND 

LAUREL.     {Plate  CVl) 

Epig^a  repens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.       White  or pi}ik.     Fragrant.      New  England  and  Neiv  Jersey.         March-May. 

Flowers :  growing  in  terminal  clusters.  Calyx  :  of  five,  green  pointed  sepals. 
Corolla:  tubular;  with  five  spreading  lobes;  within  hairy.  Stamejis :  ■&\yi\.o 
ten  ;  included  ;  anthers,  yellow.  Pistil :  one  ;  stigma,  five-lobed.  Leaves : 
alternate  on  hairy  stalks  ;  cordate  ;  entire ;  evergreen.  Stem :  prostrate ; 
branching  ;  woody  ;  hairy. 

Thoreau  says  :  "  I  love  nature,  I  love  the  landscape  because 
it  is  so  sincere.  It  never  cheats  me,  it  never  jests  ;  it  is  cheer- 
fully, musically  earnest."  It  is  so  with  the  arbutus,  a  faithful 
little  sweetheart.  Even  to  those  that  live  in  large  cities  the 
browned,  faded  bunches,  tied  with  wet  strings  and  peddled  by 
sad-eyed  little  boys,  have  the  power  to  kindle  a  gleam  of  joy  in 
the  heart ;  but  to  those  that  live  in  the  quietude  of  the  country 
and  watch  the  changing  of  the  seasons  by  the  position  of  the 
sun's  reflection  upon  their  sidewalls,  the  coming  of  the  arbutus 
is  an  event  in  the  year.  It  never  disappoints  its  seekers.  As 
soon  as  the  winter's  covering  of  snow  has  faded  away  and  only 
little  melting  patches  are  seen  sparingly  about  ;  the  dried 
leaves  may  be  pushed  aside  and  the  sweet,  pink  face  snuggling 
so  cosily  among  its  green  leaves  has  a  fragrant  welcome  to  be- 
stow. Stern  and  grave  as  were  the  Pilgrim  fathers,  they  loved 
it  dearly  ;  for  as  Whittier  tells  in  his  beautiful  poem,  it  was  the 
first  blossom  to  greet  them  after  their  winter  of  suffering.  In 
New  England,  where  it  grows  abundantly,  and  especially  about 
Plymouth,  it  is  called  Mayflower. 

*'  O  sacred  flower  of  faith  and  hope, 
As  sweetly  now  and  then 
Ye  bloom  on  many  a  birchen  slope, 
In  many  a  pine-dark  glen." 


2o6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

PIPSISSEWA.     PRINCE'S  PINE. 

Chimdphzla  umbellata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath.     Flesh  colour.,  tinged  with     Fragrant.     Northeast  to  Ga.^ -west-         June.,  July, 
crimson:  green  centre.  ward  to  the  Pacijic. 

Flowers  :  nodding  ;  usually  three  in  a  loose  cluster.  Calyx:  of  five  green 
lobes.  6Vr^//a ;  of  five  round,  concave  petals  with  a  crimson  ring  of  colour 
at  the  base,  Stameus :  ten,  with  violet  anthers.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  five- 
rayed.  Leaves:  numerous,  whorled,  or  scattered  along  the  stem ;  lanceolate; 
toothed  ;  evergreen.     Stem  :    about  six  inches  high. 

In  a  crowd  we  might  easily  pass  by  the  pipsissewa,  but  once 
having  turned  aside  to  look  at  it,  we  should  be  sure  to  linger 
for  a  better  acquaintance.  It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the 
fragile  blossoms  that  grow  in  the  open  woods.  The  name 
pipsissewa  is  also  full  of  charm  and  conjures  up  all  the  romance 
that  has  ever  clustered  about  the  red  man.  He  knew  undoubt- 
edly of  the  plant's  medicinal  properties. 

C.  jftaculata,  Plate  CVII,  is  a  species  of  pipsissewa  that 
grows  abundantly  in  Eastern  North  America  and  is  com- 
monly called  spotted  pipsissewa.  It  blooms  a  little  earlier  in 
the  season  than  the  preceding  variety  and  if  possible  is  a 
sweeter  flower.  The  leaves  are  lined  beautifully  with  white. 
It  is  also  fragrant. 

SPRING  BEAUTY. 

Claytbnia   Virginica. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulsane. 

White  or  pink 
veined  with  a 
deeper  shade. 

Scentless. 

Ne7v  England south- 
ward  to  Georgia 
and  %vestward. 

March-May. 

Flowers:  a  few  growing  in  loose,  terminal  racemes.  Calyx:  of  two  ovate 
sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  petals,  slightly  united  at  the  base.  Stamens  :  five. 
Pistil:  one;  style,  three-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite;  linear;  narrowing  into  a 
petiole  and  varying  greatly  in  breadth.  Stem :  erect  or  reclining ;  rarely 
branched.     Root :   tuberous. 

We  should  never  be  tired  of  reminding  ourselves  that  plants 
are  not  all  formed  after  the  same  plan.  They  are  as  human 
beings,  and  we  seldom  find  among  them  one  that  has  not  some 
interesting  characteristic.     Although  general  laws  may  be  said 


PLATE  evil 


r  PIPSISSE 
I  FIRE  PIN 


'A' A.     Chimaphila  viacutatu 
K.     Silene  Virginica. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL.  207 

to  govern  them,  again  as  the  animal  world  they  defy  any  law 
that  interferes  with  their  individuality. 

The  spring  beauty  is  familiar  to  many  of  us  and  as  we  recall 
it  to  the  mind  we  connect  with  it  a  shrinking  type  of  loveliness. 
Were  it  not  for  its  delicate  venation,  and  the  difference  in  its 
leaves  and  growth,  we  should  almost  confuse  it  with  the  anem- 
one. In  woods,  often  by  running  streams,  and  in  exposed 
places  it  blooms  abundantly.     It  closes  in  cloudy  weather. 

LIVER-LEAF.     HEPATICA. 

Hep  at  tea  Hepatic  a. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot,        Pijikish  blue^  or  white.        Fragrant.        Mostly  east.  Early  spring. 

Flowers:  solitary;  growing  on  long  scapes.  Calyx:  of  six,  or  more 
coloured  sepals  which  are  frequently  mistaken  for  petals,  as  the  involucre  is 
inconspicuous  and  adheres  closely  to  the  flowers  in  the  manner  of  sepals. 
Petals:  none.  Stamens:  numerous.  Pistils:  numerous.  Leaves:  from  the 
base  ;  rounded ;  three-Iobed  ;  mottled  with  purple ;  evergreen.  Scape :  cov- 
ered with  a  fuzz. 

"  Brave  little  wilding,  herald  of  the  spring  ! 

First  of  the  beauteous  tribes  that  soon  will  troop 
Singly,  in  pairs,  or  in  a  joyous  group, 
O'er  sunny  slope  or  sheltered  bank  ;  or  cling. 
By  their  slight  fibres,  where  the  bluebird's  wing 
Alone  can  visit  them  with  graceful  swoop  !  " 

— Eliza  Allen  Starr. 

Father  Winter  is  hardly  well  on  his  homeward  journey  when 
we  go  to  the  woods  or  banks  and  notice  a  subtle  fragrance 
hovering  about  the  air.  Led  by  it  we  direct  our  steps  and 
find  almost  hidden  by  dead  leaves,  or  perhaps  by  snow,  our 
lovely  hepatica.  It  has  pushed  up  its  delicate  bloom  through 
the  rusty-looking  leaves  that  have  remained  over  the  winter, 
as  though  impatient  to  be  the  first  to  greet  the  spring.  The 
new  leaves  appear  later  in  the  season.  Perhaps  down  below 
they  and  the  blossoms  had  a  little  disagreement  about  just 
when  was  the  proper  time  to  arrive  at  the  flower  carnival  and 
the  leaves  scoffed  at  the  idea  of  being  first,  so  they  delayed  in 
getting  ready,  and  the  flowers  came  on  alone.  Neither  were 
they  imprudent  ;  the  buds  and  stems  are  well   wrapped  up  in  a 


2o8  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

heavy  fuzz  that  protects  them  from  the  cold.  They  knew 
better  than  the  leaves  how  glad  we  all  should  be  to  see  them 
here. 

Mr.  Gibson  regarded  them  as  our  earliest  spring  flowers. 

WIND-FLOWER.     WOOD-ANEHONE.     {Plate  CVIII.) 

Anemone  quinquefblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE         TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Cro7v/oot.  White,  or  tinted  with  Scentless.  General.  April,  May. 

blue  or  pink. 

Flowers :  terminal  ;  solitary.  Calyx :  of  four  to  seven  petal-like  sepals. 
Corolla :  none.  Stamens  :  numerous.  Pistils  :  numerous,  forming  a  head. 
Leaves  :  from  the  base  ;  three  also  on  the  flower  stem,  whorled  below  the 
flower  and  divided  into  five-toothed   leaflets.     Stem  :  delicate  ;  slender. 

It  is  said  that  the  Greeks  named  their  anemone  wind-flower 
because  it  appeared  at  the  windy  season  ;  but  we  would  rather 
connect  our  lovely  blossom  with  the  pathetic  grief  of  Venus 
over  the  body  of  the  slain  Adonis.  As  she  approached  Cyprus 
in  her  swan-drawn  chariot  she  heard  coming  up  through  mid- 
air the  groans  of  her  beloved.  She  therefore  turned  back  to 
the  earth,  alighted,  and  bent  over  his  lifeless  body.  Overcome 
with  grief  she  reproached  the  Fates  and  said  : 

"Theirs  shall  not  be  wholly  a  triumph;  memorials  of  my 
grief  shall  endure,  and  the  spectacle  of  your  death,  my  Adonis, 
and  of  my  lamentation  shall  be  annually  renewed.  Your  blood 
shall  be  changed  into  a  flower  ;  that  consolation  none  can  envy 
me." 

She  then  sprinkled  nectar  on  the  blood  and  the  flowers  arose. 
The  wind  blows  them  open  and  then  blows  the  petals  away. 
So  they  are  short  lived  ;  their  coming  and  going  being  attribu- 
table to  the  wind. 

"  Wind-flowers  we  since  these  blossoms  call, 
So  very  frail  are  they, 
Tear-drops  from  Venus's  eye  let  fall, 
Our  wood  anemone." 

The  European  species,  A.  pavonina  and  A.  r amine uloides^  are 
scarlet  and  purple  respectively. 


.J1^ 


PLATE  CVlll.     WIND-FLOWER.     Anemone  quinquefolia. 
(209) 


2IO  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

RUE  ANEMONE. 

Syndesmon  thalictroldes. 
This  is  a  very  similar  plant  to  the  wind-flower  and  is  often 
found  growing  beside  it ;  especially  when  the  chosen  haunt  is 
about  the  roots  of  an  old  tree.  Its  flowers  are  smaller  and 
they  grow  in  umbels  at  the  end  of  the  scape.  The  leaves  are 
rounder  and  less  divided.  Although  it  is  sometimes  found  of 
a  rosy  hue,  its  usual  colour  is  white.  Like  the  wind-flower  it 
is  very  perishable. 

THiriBLE^WEED.     {Plate  CIX) 
Anemone    Virginia?ia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  Greenish  ivkiie.  Scentless.  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary  ;  borne  on  long  flower-stalks.  Calyx :  of  five 
greenish  petal-like  sepals.  Corolla:  none.  Stamens:  numerous.  Pistils: 
numerous.  Fruit:  thimble-shaped;  a  head  of  achenes.  Leaves:  opposite; 
and  from  the  base  deeply  cleft  ;  the  divisions  again  cleft  and  toothed.  Stem : 
tall ;  smooth. 

The  tall,  stiff  stalks  of  A.  Virginiana  are  very  noticeable  in 
the  open  woods  and  in  many  dry  meadows.  It  is  best  known, 
however,  by  its  odd,  thimble-shaped  fruit. 

TALL  LARKSPUR. 

Delphinium  urceolatmn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  Blue  or  purple.  Scentless.  Penn.  southward  fuly,  August. 

and  westward. 

Flowers :  downy  ;  loosely  clustered  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx  :  of  five 
irregular  sepals,  one  being  prolonged  into  a  large  spur.  Corolla :  of  four 
petals  in  pairs  ;  the  upper  pair  projecting  backward  long  spurs  which  are  en- 
wrapped in  the  spur  of  the  calyx  ;  the  lower  pair  raised  with  short  claws. 
Stamens:  numerous.  Pistils:  three,  forming  in  fruit  as  many  erect  podSc 
Leaves:  alternate;  palmately  divided  into  three,  or  five  divisions.  Stem: 
three  to  five  feet  high. 

The  larkspurs  form  en  masse  an  exquisite  bunch  of  blending, 
beautiful  colours.  They  are  dignified  flowers  and  until  ex- 
amined critically  appear  to  be  symmetrical.  Their  organs, 
however,  are  all  irregular. 


PLATE  CIX.     THIMBLE-WEED.     Anemoiie  Virginiana. 

(211) 


212  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

D.  tricdrne,  called  also  stagger-weed,  is  the  dwarf  larkspur 
which  brightens  the  open  woods  with  its  long,  loose  clusters  of 
bright  blue  or  white  flower.  It  effects  a  close  soil  and  is 
found  mostly  southward  and  westward  from  Pennsylvania. 
The  stem  is  from  six  to  twelve  inches  high  and  smooth.  The 
leaves  are  deeply  five-parted  and  the  roots  are  tuberous. 

In  common  with  nearly  all  the  larkspurs,  of  which  there  are 
over  twenty-five  species  native  to  the  United  States,  the  plant 
possesses  poisonous  properties,  and  is  especially  harmful  to 
cattle  in  April  if  they  indulge  too  freely  in  its  fresh,  green 
shoots.  It  is  from  this  fact  that  it  has  derived  its  name  of 
stagger-weed. 

D.  CaroHnianum,  Carolina  larkspur,  Plate  CX,  has  azure,  pink 
or  white  flowers  that  are  somewhat  smaller.  It  is  a  downy 
plant,  from  one  to  three  feet  high. 

D.  AJacis,  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  old  gardens,  is  simi- 
lar to  a  hyacinth,  and  has  flowers  crowded  in  a  long,  close  ra- 
ceme. The  spur  is  short  and  the  pods  very  downy.  On  the 
front  of  the  united  petals  there  are  two  marks  which  are  sup- 
posed to  be  the  letters  A.  I.  There  is  a  pretty  legend  connected 
with  it. 

When  Ajax  and  Ulysses  presented  themselves  as  claimants 
for  the  armour  of  the  treacherously  slain  Achilles,  the  Greeks 
awarded  it  to  Ulysses  ;  and  by  so  doing  placed  wisdom  before 
valour.  Ajax,  on  hearing  the  decision,  slew  himself,  and  from 
the  spot  where  his  blood  touched  the  ground  a  lovely  flower 
sprang  up,  bearing  on  its  petals  the  two  first  letters  of  his  name, 
Ajax,  or  Aiai,  which  is  the  Greek  for  woe. 

DOWNY  YELLOW  VIOLET.     {Plate  CXXXV) 
Viola  pubescens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE        TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Violet.     Yellow^  veined  with  purple.     Faintly  fragrant.      General.  May. 

Flowers  :  solitary;  growing  on  axillary  flower-stalks.  Leaves  ■  usually  two  on 
the  stem  ;  broad  ;  on  petioles ;  serrate  ;  smaller,  bract-like  leaves  below.  Stem : 
leafy  above  ;  pubescent. 

This  fair-hued  little  violet  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  sights 


PLATE  CX      CAROLINA  LARKSPUR.     Delphinium  Carol inianum. 


YRIGHT,   1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPAMV. 

PRINTED    IN    AMERICA, 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL.  213 

that  greet  us  in  the  spring  woods.  It  seems  always  young  and 
guileless,  as  though  it  would  never  grow  old  or  wise.  It  is  so 
closely  associated  in  the  mind  with  Bryant's  lovely  poem,  "The 
Yellow  Violet,"  that  we  cannot  but  lament  the  evidence  that 
inclines  us  to  the  belief  that  it  was  V.  rotundifolia  by  which  he 
was  inspired. 

FRINGED  POLYGALA.     FLOWERING  WINTERGREEN. 

Polj/gala  paucifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkwort.  Rose  pink.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  May. 

Flowers :  axillary  ;  growing  on  slender  flower-stalks ;  cleistogamous  flowers 
borne  near  the  root.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals,  two  of  which  are  wing-like  and 
coloured  like  petals.  Corolla  :  very  irregular ;  the  keel  ornamented  with  a 
fringe.  Stamens:  six.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  mostly  at  the  summit  of  the 
flower-stalks  ;  ovate ;  those  below  scale-like.  Stems  :  underground.  Rootsiock : 
running. 

Usually  the  fringed  polygalas  are  found  growing  together  in 
numbers  as  though  they  had  just  met  for  some  gay  fete.  They 
have  on  their  party  clothes,  and  look  as  pretty  and  bright  as 
possible.  The  poor  little  fertile  flowers  at  the  base  have  no 
party  clothes,  and  are  evidently  left  out  of  all  the  fun.  No  fairy 
god-mother  has  found  them  out,  so  they  just  have  to  stay  at 
home  and  do  the  work  of  reproducing  their  species,  while  the 
useless,  giddy  sisters  amuse  themselves  and  are  admired  by  all. 

P.  polygama  has  many  flowers  growing  in  a  raceme  at  the 
summit  of  a  leafy  flower-stalk.  It  also  makes  the  plain  little 
sisters  stay  at  home  to  do  the  work,  knowing  well  that  their 
vanity  never  overrules  their  good  sense,  and  that  they  do  not 
open  their  petals  to  expose  their  pollen  to  the  rains,  thieving 
insects  or  any  other  evils  that  might  overtake  them. 

TWIN=LEAF.     RHEUnATISM=ROOT. 

Jeffersbnia  diph^'lla. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Barberry.  White.  Scentless.  New  York  southward  April.,  May. 

and  westward. 

Flowers  :  solitary ;  growing  on  a  naked  scape.  Calyx  :  of  four  petals  that  fall 
early.     Corolla  :  one  inch  broad,  of  eight  petals.     Stamens  :  eight.   Pistil ;  one  ; 


214 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 


stigma,  tvvo-lobed.  Leaves  :  from  the  base  ;  growing  on  long  stalks,  and  parted 
into  two  rounded  leaflets  which  have  won  for  it  the  name  of  twin-leaf.  Scape: 
simple ;  naked. 

The  generic  name  of  this  pretty  little  perennial  herb  was  be- 
stowed on  it  in  honour  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  It  comes  to  us 
early  in  the  season,  but  is  only  found  sparingly  in  woods  that 
are  east  of  New  York. 

WILD  MANDRAKE.     MAY  APPLE. 

Podophjllu7n  peltattan. 


FAMILY 
Bar  berry. 


COLOUR 

White. 


ODOUR 

Unpleasant. 


RANGE 

General. 


TIME  OF  BLOOM 

May. 


Flowers  :  large  ;  solitary  ;  nodding  from  a  short  pedicel  between  the  two  leaf- 
stalks. Calyx  :  of  six  sepals  that  fall  early.  Corolla  :  of  six  to  nine  petals. 
Stamens:  usually  double  the  number  of  petals.  Pistil:  one.  Fricit :  a  large 
berry  filled  with  seeds  and  sweet  to  the  taste ;  it  appears  like  a  small  lemon. 
Leaves:  usually  two  ;  terminal  at  the  ends  of  elongated  petioles;  umbrella- 
shaped  ;  five  to  nine  lobed.  Beside  the  flowering  stems  other  stems  arise  which 
bear  a  single  leaf  seven  to  nine  lobed. 

A  Strange  little  flower  is  our  mandrake,  and  a  strange  way  it 
has  of  growing  under  its  great  umbrella-like  leaves.  It  seems 
as  though  its  perpetual  dread  in  life  is  to  be  wet  by  a  thunder- 
shower.  The  fruit,  called  wild-lemon,  is  harmless,  and  is  often 
eaten  and  enjoyed  by  children  ;  but  the  leaves  and  roots  pos- 
sess a  deadly  poison. 

The  Indians  know  how  to  use  it  medicinally. 

STAR=FLOWER. 

Trientdlis  Ainerica7ia. 


FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR 

Primrose.  White.  Scentless. 


RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

New  England  southward  May. 

and  westward. 


Flowers  :  small ;  terminal  ;  solitary.  Calyx  :  of  six,  or  seven  sepals.  Co- 
rolla: wheel-shaped;  of  six,  or  seven  pointed  petals.  Stamens:  numerous. 
Pistils :  four  to  fifteen.  Leaves :  sessile  ;  long  ;  narrow  and  whorled  below 
the  flower.     Stem  :   erect ;    slender.     Kootstock  :  slender. 

Growing  near  the  anemone  and  often  near  the  wild  straw- 
berry, we  find  in  the  spring  woods  this  prim  little  blossom.     Its 


PLATE  CXI.     PARTRIDGE  VINE.    Mitchella   repetts. 

(215) 


2i6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

appearance  is  crisp  and  pert-like,  and  although  it  evades  us  and 
hides  itself  behind  its  handsome  leaves,  we  may  hardly  fancy 
that  it  does  so  from  shyness  ;  but  rather  that  it  is  mischiev- 
ously teasing  its  seeker  and  peeping  out  its  bright  face  to  laugh 
at  him  as  he  passes  on. 


FOUR=LEAVED  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lysiindchia  quadrifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Primrose.         Yellow^  streaked  with  red.         Scentless.  General.  June. 

Flowers :  solitary  ;  growing  uprightly  on  axillary  thread-like  flower-stalks. 
Calyx:  of  five,  parted  petals.  Corolla:  of  five,  oblong,  parted  petals. 
Stamens  :  four  or  five.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  lanceolate  ;  opposite  or  whorled 
at  even  distances  about  the  stem.     Stein  :    upright ;  smooth. 

The  perfectly  symmetrical  arrangement  of  the  leaves  of  this 
plant  and  the  star-like,  bright  faces  that  shoot  out  from  their 
axils  make  it  very  noticeable.  It  is  closely  related  to  L. 
terrestris  of  the  moist  meadows  ;  but  is  fond  of  the  light  soil  of 
open  woods  and  sometimes  even  appears  along  the  roadsides. 
This  difference  of  taste  is  probably  owing  to  the  considerate 
forethought  of  the  family,  which  wish  to  put  themselves  as 
much  en  evidence  as  possible,  and  to  be  ready  to  assist  the  poor 
farmer  by  using  their  soothing  influence  upon  his  quarrelsome 
beasts.     L.  terrestris,  page  93. 


PARTRIDGE  VINE.     (P/afe  CXI.) 

Mitchella  repens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Madder.  White.  Fragrant.  General.  June^July. 

Flowers :  terminal  ;  two  in  each  cluster.  Calyx :  of  four  toothed  sepals. 
Corolla  :  of  four  wax-like  lobes  which  extend  into  a  tube ;  within  hairy. 
Stamens:  four.  Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  small,  round,  scarlet  berry  singularly 
crowned  with  the  eight  calyx-teeth,  and  formed  by  the  cohering  of  the  ovaries 
of  the  twin  flowers.  Leaves  :  small  ;  round  ;  opposite  ;  shiny  j  evergreen. 
Stems  :   trailing  closely  over  the  ground. 

Much  of  the  essence  of  the  woodlands  is  embodied  in  the 
cherry-like  scent  of  the  gentle  sister  blossoms  and  the  pretty 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL.  217 

fruit  and  bright  trailing  stem  of  the  partridge-vine.  It  is  a 
great  favourite  in  the  open  woods  and  never  deserts  them  to 
visit  in  other  localities.  Many  a  merry  meal  it  has  offered  to 
the  passer-by,  and  animals  and  birds  know  well  the  pulpy,  red 
berry.  In  some  places  they  also  frequently  find  their  way  to 
the  markets. 

The  blossoms  are  dimorphous,  as  are  their  sedate  little  rela- 
tives the  quaker  ladies.     Page  97,  Plate  XLVI. 

TALL  HAIRY  AGRIMONY. 

Agrimbnia  hirshta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  Yellow.  Like  apricots.  General.  July.,  August. 

Flowers  :  small  ;  growing  in  a  close,  slender  raceme.  Calyx:  obconic;  five- 
lobed,  covered  with  hooked  bristles.  Corolla :  of  five,  rosaceous  petals. 
Stamens:  ten,  or  more.  Pistil:  one;  sometimes  three  or  four.  Leaves:  pin- 
nate ;  of  five  to  seven  lance-oblong,  coarsely-toothed  leaflets.  Stem :  erect  ; 
bristly. 

Many  tender  grandmotherly  traditions  cluster  about  agri- 
-uiony.  They  loved  its  fragrant  flowers  and  roots,  and  prized 
it  especially  because  an  addition  of  its  dried  leaves  made  the 
tea  go  further,  and  gave  to  it  a  peculiar  aroma  and  delicacy  of 
flavour.  The  dear  old  country  doctor  in  his  rattling  gig  knew 
the  agrimony  and  had  it  classed  among  his  harmless  remedies. 
Paper  bags  filled  with  it  and  hung  against  the  garret  walls  are 
also  among  the  memories  that  its  name  recalls. 


WHITE  AVENS. 

Ghan  Canadense. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  White.  Scentless.  General.  May- August. 

Guarding  the  borders  of  the  thickets  and  open  woods  we  find 
the  white  avens.  It  is  a  less  conspicuous  plant  than  either  G. 
rivale  or  G.  strictum,  pages  52  and  53,  and  has  small,  short,  white 
petals.  We  must  infer  that  its  lack  of  an  attractive  appearance 
is  really  premeditated,  and  for  the  purpose   of  preventing  our 


iiS  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

noting  its  whereabouts,  to  avoid  it  ;  as  in  the  late  season  it 
sheds  abroad  very  little  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness  in 
attaching  its  burrs  to  the  unfortunate. 


WILD  PINK.     (F/ate  CX/I.) 

Silene  Caroliniana. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

rinH.  Rose  pink.  Scentless.  Eastern,  middle  and  April-June, 

to  nearly  white.  southern  states. 

Flowers :  clustered  at  the  ends  of  the  flower-stalks.  Calyx :  long ;  of  five 
sepals  that  form  a  tube.  Corolla  :  of  five  notched  petals  with  claws  that  are 
enclosed  in  the  calyx-tube.  Statnens  :  ten.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  three.  Leaves  : 
those  from  the  base,  long,  narrow,  clustered;  terminating  in  hairy  petioles; 
those  of  the  stem  lanceolate,  opposite.  Stem  :  four  to  eight  inches  high ; 
branching;  vigourous. 

Let  US  cast  a  glance  at  these  lovely  deep,  rosy  pinks  as  we 
pause  by  some  rocky  ledge  in  the  open  May  woods.  They  sit 
so  jauntily  upon  their  stems  and  have  such  an  assured  expres- 
sion that  we  feel  they  are  whispering  to  each  other  very  spicy 
things  ;  and  who  knows  but  about  us  ?  The  flower  buds  are 
velvety  and  soft,  and  when  intermingled  with  the  full,  rich 
bloom  they  add  another  charm  to  the  beautiful  plant. 

FIRE  PINK.     VIRGINIA  CATCHFLY.     (F/afe  CVII.) 

Silene  Virginica. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pink. 

Scarlet. 

Scentless. 

New  York  southward 
and  westward. 

All  summer. 

Flowers:  few  ;  growing  on  pedicels  in  a  cyme.  Calyx  :  tubular  ;  five-cleft ; 
sticky  ;  nodding  in  fruit.  Corolla  :  of  five  lanceolate,  deeply  two-cleft  petals. 
Stamens:  ten.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  three.  Leaves:  small;  lanceolate;  thin. 
Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high  ;  erect ;  slender  ;  pubescent. 

The  viscid  substance  that  covers  the  calyx  and  stems  of  the 
fire  pink  has  led  emblematists,  whose  hearts  have  been  full  of 
compassion  for  the  hapless  insects  held  to  die  by  its  means,  to 
associate  the  idea  of  remorseless  fate  with  the  plant.  It  is  not 
thought  that  it  assimilates  its  victims  for  nourishment  as  is  cus- 
tomary with  the  insectivorous  plants  ;  and  its  large  sticky 
calyx  is  therefore  to  be  regretted,  as  it  mars  to  a  great  extent 


PLATE  CXU       WILD   PINK.     Si/ene  Caro/inmna. 

COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANr. 
PRINTED    IN   AM1RICA. 


PLATE  CX 1 1 1.     STAR  RY  CAM  PION .     Sileiie  stellata. 
(219) 


220  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

the  beauty  of  the  brilliant  flower.  Dr.  Erasmus  Darwin,  when 
speaking  of  American  catchflies,  said,  "  The  viscid  material 
which  surrounds  the  stalks  under  the  flowers  is  a  curious  contri- 
vance to  prevent  insects  from  plundering  the  honey,  or  devour- 
ing the  seed." 

STARRY  CAMPION.     {Plate  CXIII.) 

Silene  stellata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pink.  White.  Scentless.  General.  June.,  July. 

Flcnuers :  clustered  loosely  in  a  panicle.  Calyx:  swollen;  reddish,  sticky^ 
with  five  lobes.  Corolla:  of  five  deeply  fringed  petals.  Stamens:  ten;  ex- 
serted.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  three.  Leaves:  sessile;  lanceolate;  whorled  in 
fours,  or  opposite  in  pairs  on  the  upper  and  lower  part  of  the  stem.  Stem  : 
two  to  three  feet  high  ;  reddish  coloured. 

The  deeply  fringed  petals  and  yellow-green  leaves  of  the 
starry  campion  form  masses  of  delightfully  cool  colouring  that 
seem  to  breath  the  freshness  of  the  midsummer  woods.  It  is 
in  the  evening  that  the  flowers  unfold,  although  in  much  shaded 
woods  they  remain  open  until  noon  of  the  next  day.  The  plant 
is  a  conspicuous  catchfly. 

GROUND=NUT.     DWARF  GINSENG.     {F/ale  CXIV.) 

Panax  trifblium. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Ginseng,  White.  Scentless.  New  England  westward:  April.^  May. 

southward  to  Georgia. 

Flowers :  tiny ;  imperfect ;  clustered  closely  in  a  slender-stalked  umbel  and 
forming  a  ball  of  bloom.  Gz/vjr ;  short  ;  with  five  small  teeth.  Corolla  :  oi 
five  petals.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil :  one.  Frttit :  det\)  yeWow.  Leaves  :  ihx&e, 
whorled  below  the  flower  and  divided  into  three  to  five  sessile  leaflets.  Root- 
stock  :  tuberous ;  deeply  seated  in  the  earth. 

The  round  fluffy  ball  of  tiny  blossoms  which  rises  above  the 
leaves  gives  this  plant  a  very  pretty  and  innocent  look.  It 
rests  so  peacefully  in  the  spring  woods  that  it  seems  a  shame 
to  disturb  it  to  dig  for  its  tubers.  They  are  edible  and  have  a 
sweet,  pungent  taste. 


bM§^^ 


1/ ', 


PLATE  CXIV.    GROUND-NUT.    Panax  tr if olium. 

(221) 


222  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

F1VE=LEAVED  GINSENG. 

Panax  gitinquefdlium. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Ginseng.  Greenish  white.  Scentless.         Vennont  to  Minn.  July,  August. 

southzuard  to  Georgia. 

Floxvers :  imperfect ;  clustered  in  a  slender-stalked  umbel.  Calyx :  short ; 
with  five  small  teeth.  Corolla:  of  five  petals.  Stamens:  five.  Pistil:  one. 
Fruit:  a  bright  red  berry.  Leaves  :  three,  whorled  below  the  flowers  and  pal- 
mately  divided  into  three  to  five  ovate,  pointed  leaflets  on  each  of  the  three 
petioles.     Stem  :  about  one  foot  high.     Roots  :  forked;  aromatic. 

This  plant  is  eagerly  sought  for  in  the  woods  not  only  by 
lovers  of  flowers,  who  appreciate  it  as  a  rarity,  but  also  by 
those  who  consider  the  commercial  value  of  its  roots.  It  is 
closely  allied  to  the  true  Mandchurian  ginseng  of  China  and  is 
exported  there  from  this  country  in  large  quantities.  The 
Chinese  regard  its  stimulating  properties  as  more  powerful  than 
those  of  any  other  drug  to  invigourate  the  system.  As  is  the 
case  with  the  Mediterranean  mandrake,  the  forked  specimens 
are  thought  to  resemble  the  human  form,  and  the  name  ginseng 
is  a  corruption  of  the  Chinese  Jintsan,  meaning  like  a  man. 
The  plant  has  not,  however,  so  uncanny  a  reputation  as  the 
mandrake  and  does  not  cry  out  when  uprooted  from  the  earth. 

WILD  SARSAPARILLA. 

Ardlia  nudicaulis, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Ginseng.  Greenish  white.  Scentless.  General.  June. 

Flowers:  clustered  in  an  umbel  on  a  short  naked  scape.  Calyx:  short  ;  with 
five  small  teeth.  Corolla:  of  five  petals.  Stamefis :  five.  Pistil:  one. 
Fruit :  dark  purple.  Leaves:  one  only;  growing  much  higher  than  the  flowers 
and  divided  into  five  oval  toothed  leaflets  on  each  of  the  three  petioles.  Roots  : 
slender;  running  horizontally. 

It  is  said  that  the  gods  compensate  an  ugly  mother  by  giving 
her  a  beautiful  child,  and  we  often  notice  that  rather  plain- 
looking  flowers  produce  very  attractive  fruit.  It  is  so  with  the 
wild  sarsaparilla,  the  close  bunches  of  dark,  shining  berries 
protected  by  their  handsome  leaves  being  a  conspicuous  feat- 
ure of  the  late  summer  woods.  The  roots  are  gathered  and  sold 
in  quantities  to  flavour  summer  drinks,  or  as  a  substitute  for 
the  genuine  sarsaparilla. 


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PLATE   CXV.     WILD   GERANIUM.      Gerani/nu  i/iac-/^/a//nH. 

COPYRIGHT,    1P99,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN    AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING   IN   LIGHT  SOIL.  223 

AMERICAN  SPIKENARD. 

sAralia  race»ibsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Ginseng.     Greenish  white.     Roots  fragrant.         Ver^nont  to  Minnesota.,  J'*^y- 

soutliward  to  Georgia. 

Flowers :  imperfect  ;  growing  in  drooping,  compound  umbels  in  a  long  pani- 
cle ;  similar  to  those  already  described  of  the  genus  Aralia.  Leaves  :  very 
large  ;  compound  ;  with  heart-shaped  pointed  leaflets  ;  downy ;  toothed.  S^em  : 
very  leafy  ;  branched.     Roots :  branched  ;  aromatic  ;  fragrant. 

Few  could  pass  by  the  long  red  or  purple  clusters  of  berry- 
like fruit  which  the  spikenard  bears  without  turning  aside  to 
admire  them.  Just  before  being  quite  ripe  they  are  particu- 
larly brilliant  and  beautiful  in  colouring. 


WILD  GERANIUM.     WILD  CRANESBILL.     (^Plate  CXV.) 
Geranium  inaculdtum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Geranium.        Purplish  pink  or  lavender.         Scentless.         General.  April-July. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  pairs,  or  more  numerously  on  long  peduncles.  Calyx  : 
of  five  pointed  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens  :  ten,  five 
of  which  are  longer  than  the  others  with  glands  at  their  bases.  Pistil :  one  ; 
styles,  five.  Fruit :  maturing  into  as  many  capsules.  Leaves  :  palmately  three, 
five,  or  seven  divided  ;  each  division  notched  into  lobes  at  the  end  ;  the  older 
leaves  yellowish,  blotched,  or  spotted  with  white.     Stem  :  branching  ;  hairy. 

When  so  strong  and  vigourous  a  plant  as  the  wild  cranesbill 
clothes  itself  in  delicate  purple  or  lavender,  we  naturally  think 
it  has  a  taste  for  the  artistic.  The  detail  of  its  gown  has  also 
been  most  carefully  planned,  as  is  shown  by  its  beautiful  vena- 
tion. Undoubtedly  it  is  doing  its  best  to  keep  up  with  its  fa- 
voured relatives  of  the  gardens.  Its  common  name,  cranesbill, 
and  Greek  name,  geranium,  are  from  the  resemblance  of  the 
partly-matured  seed  vessels  to  the  long  beak  of  a  crane.  When 
ripe  they  burst  open  elastically  and  scatter  the  seeds.  The 
plant  spreads  itself  bountifully  over  the  fields  and  roadsides  as 
well  as  rests  quietly  in  the  open  woods. 


224  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

NEW  JERSEY  TEA.     RED=ROOT. 

Ceanbthus  Americd,nus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF    BLOOM 

Buckthorn.  White.  Scentless.  General.  July. 

Flowers  :  crowded  in  a  dense  umbel-like  cluster.  Calyx :  of  five  rounded 
lobes  coloured  like  petals.  Corolla  :  of  five  hood-shaped  petals.  Stamens  : 
five.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  three-lobed.  Z^tzz^^j- ;  alternate  on  short  petioles  ; 
oblong  ;  triple-ribbed  ;  serrated;  downy  underneath.  A  low  shrub  ;  one  to  three 
feet  high.     Root:  bright  red. 

New  Jersey  tea  is  not  so  named  because  that  much-abused 
State  knows  no  other,  or  is  especially  partial  to  the  use  of 
red-root  as  a  beverage  ;  but  because  in  Revolutionary  times  the 
little  political  difficulty  that  made  tea  rather  scarce  was  felt  less 
poignantly  by  thrifty  housewives  who  had  bags  of  its  dried 
leaves  hung  in  the  garret.  The  root-bark  is  also  known  in 
medicine,  and  it  yields  a  brown  dye. 

PROSTRATE  TICK=TREFOIL.     {Plate  CXVI) 
Meibbjnia  Michduxii. 

FAMILY      COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Purple.  Scentless.        Florida  to  Miss,  and  northward.  August. 

Flowers:  growing  in  terminal  racemes  on  axillary  branches.  Calyx  :  five- 
cleft.  Corolla:  papilionaceous.  Pods:  with  scalloped  margins.  Leaves:  of 
three  rounded,  ovate  leaflets.     Stem  :  prostrate  ;  pubescent. 

When  the  Meibomias  or  Desmodiums,  as  they  were  formerly 
called,  held  their  family  council  as  to  the  best  way  for  them  to 
disperse  their  seeds,  they  decided  upon  a  plan  no  doubt  grat- 
ifying to  themselves  but  just  a  little  trying  to  humanity  at 
large.  It  seems  as  though  they  had  considered  the  question 
from  their  point  of  view  alone.  They  then  provided  them- 
selves with  jointed  pods  that  are  covered  with  bristly  hooks, 
and  cleverly  designed  to  fasten  in  the  fleece  of  sheep,  or  hair  of 
animals.  In  fact,  they  do  not  despise  clothing  of  any  de- 
scription. In  this  way  they  secure  a  very  wide  distribution, 
and  often  fall  upon  ground  at  a  great  distance  from  the  original 
plants.  They  are  not  well-bred  like  the  rattlesnake,  who  always 
gives  a  friendly  warning  of  his  intentions  ;  and  often  the  first 


PLATE  CXVI.     PROSTRATE  TICK-TREFOIL.     Meibomia  Michauxii. 

(225) 


226  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

intimation  one  has  of  their  whereabouts  is  to  find  himself  cov- 
ered with  their  pods.  Time  must  then  be  taken  to  pick  them 
off,  even  though,  as  Thoreau  says  :  "  You  were  running  for  your 
life."  The  family  is  also  a  numerous  one,  and  it  is  almost  im- 
possible not  to  come  in  contact  with  some  of  them  when  taking 
a  stroll  in  the  autumn. 

M.  Ca?iadensis  is  the  tallest  and  most  showy  of  the  genus  ;  of- 
ten reaching  six  feet  high.  It  is  not  at  all  discriminating  in  its 
choice  of  a  home,  and  can  be  found  almost  anywhere,  from  the 
heart  of  the  woods  to  the  middle  of  a  bog. 

M.  nudiflora  is  a  smaller  and  very  common  species  of  the 
open  woods.  Its  purple  flowers  grow  in  a  raceme  on  a  usually 
leafless  scape. 

M.  grandiflbra  bears  a  long  raceme  of  flowers  with  leaves 
divided  into  large  leaflets  crowded  below  it  on  the  same  stem. 

All  of  these  plants  are  readily  known  by  their  purplish  pa- 
pilionaceous corollas  and  three-foliolate  leaves.  The  bloom  is 
often  quite  pretty. 

WOOD-BETONY.     LOUSEWORT.   {Plate  CXVII.) 
Pedicularis  Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.         Yellow^  redder  purple.  Scentless.  General.  May-July. 

Floivers :  growing  in  a  short,  thick  spike.  Calyx:  united  and  split  down 
the  front.  Corolla:  tubular;  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  helmet-shaped,  the 
lower  one  erect  and  three-lobed.  Stamens:  four  enclosed  in  the  upper  lip. 
Pistil:  one.  Seed  pods  :  dagger-shaped.  Leaves:  those  from  the  base  deeply 
incised  and  cut  ;  those  near  the  flower,  smaller  and  less  cut ;  hairy.  Stem  : 
erect ;  hairy. 

The  wood-betony  is  another  of  the  flowers  that  interest  us  by 
their  irregularity  and  vigour  of  expression.  The  upper  lip  raises 
itself  in  the  most  self-asserting  manner  until  it  takes  the  whim 
to  arch  over.  Two  short  teeth  then  hang  down  and  form  a 
striking  likeness  to  the  head  of  a  walrus.  The  under  lip, 
which  is  shorter,  completes  the  resemblance  by  drooping. 
Occasionally  the  whole  flower  is  of  a  deep  rich  purple  ;  but 
usually  the  parts  are  differently  coloured,  the  upper  lip  being 


Fruit  and  calyx. 

PLATE  CXVll.    WOOD-BETONY.     Pedicularis  Canadensis, 
(227) 


228  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

purple  and  the  lower  one  pale  yellow.  Again  pale  and  dark 
clumps  of  the  flowers  will  be  found  growing  side  by  side. 
After  the  bloom  has  passed  the  plants  are  not  pretty,  as  the 
fern-like  leaves  and  pods  are  rather  rough. 

Unfortunately,  the  plant  is  not  credited  with  possessing  any 
especial  virtue,  and  we  have  no  reason  to  believe  it  is  identical 
with  the  ancient  betony  of  history. 

NARROW=LEAVED  COW=WHEAT. 

Mela?npyrum  lijicdre. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.  Pale  yellow.  Scentless.  General.  All  suininer. 

Flowers :  small ;  solitary  ;  axillary.  Calyx :  bell-shaped  ;  four-cleft. 
Corolla :  tubular  ;  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  arched,  the  lower  one  three-lobed. 
Stamens  ;  four.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  opposite  ;  lanceolate  or  narrower ;  the 
upper  sparingly  tipped  with  bristles.  Stem  :  six  to  twelve  inches  high  ;  erect ; 
branching. 

Cow-wheat  is  so  named  because  the  Dutch  at  one  time 
cultivated  it  as  food  for  their  cattle  ;  and  the  Greek  generic 
name,  Melampyrum,  meaning  black  wheat,  refers  to  the  colour 
of  the  seeds  when  mixed  with  other  grain.  The  plant  is  very 
common  in  our  open  woods,  and  is  not  particularly  attractive. 

SMOOTH  FALSE  FOXGLOVE. 

Dasystoma  Virginica. 

FAMILY        COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.         Yellow.         Scentless.        New  England  to  Minnesota         August^  September, 

southward  to  Florida. 

Flozvers :  large;  growing  in  a  leafy  raceme.  Calyx:  short;  campanulate, 
with  five  lobes.  Corolla  :  large  ;  with  five  spreading  lobes  extending  into  a  long 
tube,  the  inside  of  which  is  woolly.  Stamens  :  four,  in  pairs,  one  pair  shorter 
than  the  other  ;  woolly.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves :  opposite  ;  the  lower  ones  finely 
divided,  the  upper  ones  lanceolate  ;  entire.  Stem  :  from  three  to  six  feet 
high  ;  branching  ;  smooth.     Root :  parasitic. 

The  figworts  are  one  of  the  few  families  that  remain  with  us 
after  the  composites  have  arrived.  It  would  seem  as  though 
they  were  loath  to  leave  us  without  some  reminder  of  the 
more  delicate  bloom  of  the  spring  and  summer.  In  full  bud 
the  plants   are   especially  beautiful.     In  fact,  the  large   showy 


J 


Ir^-iv^ '  ^^ 


"^ 


^ 


PLATE  CXVlil 


(  DOWNY   FALSE  FOXG^Ov-.     Va^ystoma Jiauu. 
(SMOOTH   RUELLIA.     Ruellia  strcpens. 

COfYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPAW 
PTINTSn   IN   AMEB'f*. 


PLATE  CXIX.     FERN-LEAF  FALSE  FOXGLOVE.     Dasystoma  Pedicularia. 

(229) 


230  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  LIGHT  SOIL. 

flowers  have  hardly  the  charm  of  the  deeply-tinted  enrolled 
buds  which  pique  the  interest  with  the  expectancy  of  the 
blossom.  Often  we  find  the  foxglove  blooming  in  the  woods 
when  there  is  not  another  flower  to  be  seen,  and  we  therefore 
greet  it  with  an  added  amount  of  pleasure. 

D.  flava,  or  downy  false  foxglove,  Plate  CXVIII,  is  per- 
haps a  little  earlier  in  coming  into  bloom.  It  is  a  smaller 
plant,  very  showy,  and  with  beautiful  bell-shaped  flowers. 

FERN=LEAF,  OR  L0U5EW0RT    FALSE  FOXGLOVE. 

{Plate  CXIX) 
Dasjstoma  Pediculdria. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.  Pale  yellow.  Scentless.  Maine  southward.  August,  September. 

Flowers :  large,  in  a  terminal  leafy  panicle.  Calyx :  irregularly  cut  ;  five- 
lobed  ;  pubescent.  Corolla  :  funnel-form  ;  inflated  ;  with  five  slightly  irregular 
lobes;  within  woolly;  pubescent.  Stamens:  four  in  pairs,  one  pair  shorter 
than  the  other;  woolly.  Anthers:  lavender.  Pistil:  one.  Leaves:  pinnati- 
fid;  the  divisions  much  incised.     Stem:  branched;  leafy.     Root:  parasitic. 

The  blossoms  from  which  the  accompanying  illustration  was 
made  were  picked  in  North  Carolina  ;  and  there,  as  along  the 
Atlantic  coast,  the  fern-leaf  foxglove  is  very  lovely.  There  is 
a  sensitiveness  about  the  plant  that  makes  us  fancy  it  to  be 
one  of  the  timid  spirits  of  nature.  It  resents  being  picked, 
and  the  leaves  and  stems  then  turn  quickly  black  and  die. 


PLATE  CXX.     SPANISH   BAYONET.      Yucca fiUvncntosa. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


Plants  Growing  in  Sandy  Soil. 


There  are  flowers  that  delight  in  sandy  soil^  and  they  are  as 
well  adapted  to  it  as  the  white  water-lily  is  to  its  home  in 
the  pond.  When  they  desire  moisture  they  are  fashioned  so 
as  to  retain  it  within  themselves,  and  have  succulent,  yion- 
porous  foliage.  If  it  is  unpleasant  to  them  their  leaves  are 
small  or  thin,  and  sofuetimes  close  at  the  approach  of  a 
storm,  or  when  the  air  is  laden  with  moisture.  This  sense 
or  instinct  that  flowers  possess  seems  to  be  somezvhat  akin  to 
that  of  the  carrier  pigeon  ;  or  of  a  dog  that  will  folloiv  a 
trail  over  rocks  even  after  they  have  been  washed  by  the  rain. 
We  all  know  that  the  Indian  s  senses  are  much  better  developed 
than  those  of  civilised  man  and  they  are  ever  in  sympathy 
with  the  flowers, 

SPANISH  BAYONET.     ADAM'S   NEEDLE.     {Plate  CXX) 
Yucca  filame7itbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lily.  White,  Scentless.        East  Virginia  southward.  Summer. 

Flowers:  large  ;  growing  in  compound  panicles  on  a  scape-like  flower-stalk. 
Perianth  :  of  six,  oblong,  pointed  divisions,  sometimes  tipped  with  purple  at  the 
ends.  Stamens:  six.  Pistil:  one.  Z^flz^<;'J-.' one  to  two  feet  long;  lanceolate; 
growing  from  a  short  trunk. 

This  striking  plant,  whose  generic  name  is  taken  from  the 
name  used  by  the  aborigines  of  America,  is  perhaps  more  fa- 
miliar to  us  of  the  north  in  cultivation,  than  in  the  state  of  wild 
freedom  it   enjoys  in  the  south.     It  guards  our  garden  paths 


232  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

with  an  erect,  sentinel-like  bearing  that  is  very  imposing,  and 
no   one  is  afraid,  even  though  it  is  called  Spanish  bayonet. 


BEACH  PLUM. 

Primus  maritima. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Plum.         White  or  rose  tinted.     Sweet  scented.        Maine  to  Virginia.        Aprils  May. 

Flmvers :  growing  in  round,  dense  clusters.  Calyx:  urn-shaped,  with  five 
green  lobes.  Corolla  :  of  five  rosaceous  petals.  Stamens  :  numerous.  Pistil : 
one.  Fruit:  a  drupe,  or  havmg  a  stone  enclosed  in  the  centre;  glaucous. 
Leaves:  alternate,  with  stipules;  oval;  finely  toothed;  downy  underneath.  A 
low  shrub  with  dark,  purple  bark. 

In  the  sandy  soil  of  the  sea-beaches  this  spreading  shrub  may 
be  found  growing  abundantly.  The  bumblebees  know  well  its 
home  and  seem  to  have  deserted  every  other  flower  to  hover 
about  it  drowsily.  It  is  a  native  of  America  and  delicious  pre- 
serves have  been  made  from  its  fruit. 


BIRD'S=FOOT  VIOLET.  {Plate  CXXI.) 
Viola  pedal  a. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Violet.        Pale  blue  and  Scentless.  New  England  to  Minn.  May. 

deep  purple.  and  southward. 

Flowers  :  large,  one  inch  across ;  solitary  ;  nodding  ;  growing  on  a  scape. 
Calyx  :  of  five  pointed  sepals  with  ears  at  the  bases.  Corolla  :  of  five  unequal, 
beardless  petals,  one  of  which  extends  into  a  spur.  Stamens :  united  about  the 
pistil.  Pistil  :ox\q;  style,  club-shaped.  Leaves:  from  the  base  ;  pedately  five 
to  nine-parted;  the  lobes  narrow;  spatulate. 

From  time  immemorial  violets  have  had  their  historians, 
their  eulogists,  and  their  worshippers;  and  yet,  they  are  not 
strikingly  handsome  plants  that  claim  instant  admiration  ;  they 
are  simply  gentle,  modest  and  sweet. 

It  is  not,  perhaps,  generally  known  that  until  recently  the 
violet  was  highly  prized  in  medicine  ;  and  physicians  of  the 
middle  ages  regarded  it  as  one  of  their  four  cordial  flowers.  In 
the  time  of  Charles  II.  a  conserve  called  violet  paste,  or  violet 
sugar,  was  in  great  favour  with  royalty  and  all  the  more 
eagerly  consumed  because  it  was  thought  to  be  a  preventative 


PLATE  CXXI.     BIRD'S-FOOT  VIOLET.     Viola  pedata. 
Viola  pedata  bicolor. 


234  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

of  and  cure  for  all  pulmonary  complaints.  It  may  be  that  this 
was  the  forerunner  of  the  violet  glace  which  is  now  eaten, 
although  undoubtedly  more  from  pure  delight  than  any  idea  of 
benefit. 

V.  pedata  Mcb/or,  Fla-te.  CXXI,  which  is  a  variety  of  V.  pedata, 
is  very  handsome,  with  deep  purple,  velvet-like  upper  petals. 
The  foliage  of  these  violets  is  conspicuous  as  having  departed 
from  the  entire  leaf  type  with  heart-shaped  base  that  is  com- 
monly associated  with  the  plants.  They  belong  to  the  stemless 
division,  so-called,  of  violets  and  although  they  often  bloom  a 
second  time  late  in  the  season  they  do  not  bear  cleistogamous 
blossoms. 

K  Atldtitica^  coast  violet,  is  a  pretty  plant  with  flowers  that 
grow  on  long  slender  scapes.  Its  petals  are  nearly  equal  in 
length.  It  is  by  the  leaves,  however,  that  it  is  readily  distin- 
guished. They  are  ovate  to  reniform  in  outline  and  deeply 
parted  into  linear  or  oblanceolate  lobes  ;  the  middle  one  being 
somewhat  wider  than  the  others.  We  find  them  either  toothed 
or  entire. 

POVERTY^QRASS.     FALSE  HEATHER. 

Hudsbnia  iomentosa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rock-rose.         Yellow.  Scentless.        New  England  southward  May,  June. 

and  westward. 

Flowers :  growing  in  loose,  leafy  clusters.  Calyx :  of  five  sepals,  two 
larger  than  the  others  and  appearing  like  bracts.  Corolla :  of  five  petals. 
Stamens  :  numerous.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  .  very  small  ;  numerous  ;  hugging 
the  stem  closely.     Stem  :  low  ;  bushy  ;  heath-like. 

It  seems  rather  the  irony  of  fate  that  the  word  poverty 
should  ever  have  been  associated  with  this  heather-like  little 
plant.  Its  bright,  yellow  flowers  and  green  leaves  are  ex- 
tremely pretty  against  the  light  background  of  some  sandy 
hillside.  There  is,  however,  a  hopelessness,  a  lack  of  endurance 
about  the  little  blossoms  that  is  to  be  regretted.  They  open  in 
the  sunshine,  unresistingly  give  up  the  struggle,  and  live  but  a 
single  day. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL.  2^,5 


ROCK=ROSE.     FROST-WEED. 

Helidiithemicm  Catiadhise. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rock-rose.         Yellow.        Leaves^  when  brtiised^         Maine  southward        July^  August, 
like  balsam.  and  westward. 

Flowers:  occurring  in  two  forms  ;  the  early  blossoms  large  ;  solitary,  with 
five  petals  ;  the  later  ones  small  and  axillary.  Calyx  :  of  the  early  flowers  •, 
of  five  sepals,  two  larger  than  the  others  and  appearing  like  bracts.  Corolla  : 
of  five,  or  more  early-falling  petals.  Stameiis :  numerous ;  in  the  later 
blossoms,  three  to  ten.  Pistil:  one  ;  stigma,  three-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite, 
becoming  alternate  as  they  ascend  the  stem ;  lanceolate ;  pubescent  under- 
neath.    Stem:  erect;  branched;  pubescent. 

As  is  the  case  with  many  families  the  frost-weed  raises  two 
sets  of  children.  The  first,  which  unfold  in  July,  are  large, 
solitary  and  open  in  the  sunshine  only.  The  next  day  they 
droop  their  petals  and  die.  They  resemble  closely  an  evening 
primrose.  Perhaps  the  plant  finds  them  too  luxurious  and  deli' 
cate  as  offsprings  ;  for  later  in  the  season,  in  August  and  Sep' 
tember,  it  blooms  again,  and  numerous  smaller  blossoms  appear 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  They  are  quite  different  in  aspect 
from  their  brothers  and  sisters  that  have  gone  on  before,  and 
are  with  or  without  petals.  The  plant,  however,  is  hardly  mis- 
takable,  especially  in  November,  when  ice  crystals  fantastic  and 
whimsical  in  shape  burst  open  the  bark  and  rear  themselves  on 
high.  These  are  supposed  to  be  the  sap  of  the  plant,  which  ac- 
cumulates moisture  and  then  freezes. 

STAQGER=BUSH. 

Pieris  MariciJia. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Heath. 

White,  or  tinted  with 
pink  and  red. 

Scentless. 

Rhode  Is  la  nd  to 
Florida. 

May,  June. 

Flowers :  rather  small  ;  nodding  ;  clustered  on  leafless  shoots.  Calyx  :  of  five 
lanceolate  sepals.  Corolla:  roundish;  of  five  petals.  Stamens:  ten.  Pistil  : 
one.     Leaves  :  oblong  ;  glossy  veined.     A  shrub  two  to  four  feet  high. 

Like  lambkill  the  stagger-bush   has    a   rather   unkind   way  of 

dealing  with  young  lambs  and  sheep  that  browse  upon  its  green 

shoots.     It  turns  their  poor,  foolish  heads  dizzy,  or  if  they  have 

persistently  eaten  too  freely,  it  sends  them  to  their  everlasting 


236  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

rest.  The  shrub  is  very  handsome  and  is  generally  found  in  the 
sandy,  dry  soil  of  low  grounds  about  New  York  and  Rhode 
Island.     It  is  a  connection  of  the  Andromeda  of  the  marshes. 

VERNAL  WHITLOW=GRASS. 

Draba  virna, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.  White.  Scentless.  General.  April,  May. 

Flowers  :  small  ;  growing  in  a  raceme  on  a  naked  scape.  Calyx :  of  four 
sepals  that  fall  early.  Corolla:  of  four  two-cleft  petals.  Stamens:  six,  of 
which  two  are  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil:  one.  Pod:  flat;  somewhat 
lanceolate.  Leaves :  from  the  base  ;  oblong  to  lanceolate.  Scape  :  one  to  three 
inches  high. 

This  little  member  of  the  spicy  mustard  family  makes  its 
home  in  sandy,  waste  places.  It  has  been  naturalised  from 
Europe. 

PinPERNEL.     POOR=MAN'S,  OR  SHEPHERD'S 
WEATHER=GLASS. 

Anagdllis  arvensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Primrose.        Reddish.,  whiter  or  blue.        Scentless.  General.  June-August. 

Flowers:  small;  solitary;  axillary;  growing  on  slender  flower-stalks. 
Calyx :  five-parted.  Corolla  :  wheel-shaped,  with  five  delicately  fringed  seg- 
ments. Stamens:  five ;  the  filaments  bearded  with  purple.  Pistil :  one. 
/Leaves:  short;  opposite;  ovate;  almost  sessile  ;  darkly  spotted.  Stem:  low; 
spreading  on  the  ground. 

The  wish  to  be  of  some  assistance  to  the  poor  man  and  the 
shepherd  is  characteristic  of  this  dear  little  flower.  It  spreads 
itself  out  abundantly  over  the  sandy,  waste  fields  where  they 
often  pass  by,  and  warns  them  of  the  approaching  storms  by 
closing  its  petals.  At  night  also  and  when  the  day  is  cloudy  it 
folds  them  together.  The  fact  that  it  does  so  with  the  choice 
of  a  sandy  soil  for  its  habitat  shows  how  consistent  the  plant 
is  in  its  aversion  to  moisture. 

A.  StduSy  St.  Peter's-wort,  is  general  in  the  sandy  soil  and  es- 
pecially the  pine  barrens  of  New  Jersey  and  Long  Island.  Its 
petals  are  longer  than  the  sepals  and  obovate  in  outline. 


PLATECXXII.    ST.  ANDREW'S  CROSS.     Ascyrti7n  Jiyperkoides. 
(237) 


238  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

ST.  ANDREW'S  CR0S5.    {Plate  CXXII) 
Ascy7'iim  hypericoldes. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

St.  John's-ivort. 

Yellow. 

Scentless. 

Mass.  to  Florida 
and  westward. 

y«/y,  August. 

/7^w,?rj- ;  clustered  at  the  ends  of  spreading  flower-stalks.  Calyx:  of  four 
unequal  sepals.  Corolla:  of  four  oblong  petals.  Stamens:  numerous.  Ptstil : 
one;  styles,  two.  Leaves:  opposite;  narrow;  entire;  sessile;  smooth  and 
spotted  with  a  darker  colour.     Stem:  much  branched. 

"  This  low,  leafy  member  of  the  St.  John's-wort  family  is  very 
pretty  and  may  be  found  in  light,  sandy  soil,  or    pine  barrens 
especially  those  of  New  Jersey.  The  petals,  which  are  not  longer 
than  the  sepals,  spread  out  in  the  shape  of  St.  Andrew's  cross. 

SHRUBBY  ST.  JOHN'S=WORT.     {Plate  CXXIII.) 

Hypericum  prolificit77i. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

St.  John's-wort.  Vellozv.  Scentless.         New  Jersey  to  Georgia.  July,  August. 

Flowers  :  clustered  at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  of  five  spreading  pointed  petals,  tinged  with  scarlet  in  the  centre. 
.S/i^w^wj- ."  indefinite  in  number  ;  protruding.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  three.  Pod: 
red  ;  three-celled.  Leaves  :  numerous  ;  opposite  ;  oblong.  Ste/n  :  branched  ; 
reddish. 

The  shrubby  St.  John's-wort  is  rather  the  coxcomb  of  the 
family  and  has  decidedly  the  air  of  being  very  much  pleased 
with  itself.  Its  prolific  supply  of  protruding  stamens  gives  it  a 
light  fluffy  look  which  enlivens  any  bunch  of  flowers  and  adds  a 
touch  of  beauty  to  the  sandy,  barren  soil  where  it  grows. 
Thoreau  mentions  that  at  the  time  of  the  longest  days  in  the 
year  the  St.  John's-wort  begins  to  bloom. 

PRICKLY-PEAR.     INDIAN  FIG. 

Opuntia  humt'fiisa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Cactus.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Northeastern  states.  Summer. 

Flowers :  large  ;  solitary  ;  sessile  ;  axillary  from  the  side  of  the  stem  joints. 
Calyx:  of  numerous  sepals.  Corolla:  of  eight  to  twelve  petals  arranged  in 
ranks.  Stamens  :  wnxix^xon?,.  Pistil:  one;  stigmas,  numerous.  Fruit:  pear- 
shaped;  edible.  Stem:  successively  jointed  ;  fleshy,  spiny,  and  provided  with 
tufts  of  stiff,  reddish-brown  bristles. 


PLATE  CXXill.     SHRUBBY  ST.  JOHN'SWORT.     Hypericum prolificiim. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  CXXIV.     GOAT'S  RUE.     Cracca  Virgimana. 
(-39) 


240  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

As  the  camel  is  adapted  to  the  desert  so  is  the  cactus  to 
sandy  soil,  and  in  its  firm,  patient  growth  it  is  not  unlike  that 
unwearying  beast.  Its  succulent,  fleshy  parts  retain  within 
themselves  all  the  moisture  it  needs  for  existence,  and  the 
leathery,  non-porous  skin  prevents  evaporation.  It  loves  the 
burning  rays  of  the  sun  and  will  often  choose  to  grow  on  rocks 
where  the  heat  is  longest  retained.  Among  the  hills  of  New 
Jersey  and  about  Connecticut  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  it  cover- 
ing large  boulders. 

Our  flower  is  one  of  the  two  species  with  which  we  are  most 
familiar.  O.  Opimtia^  the  other  species,  has  a  western  range, 
from  Minnesota  to  Texas,  smaller  flowers,  few  spines  or  none, 
and  greenish-yellow  bristles.  In  other  respects  it  is  almost 
identical  with  the  above. 

GOAT'S  RUE.     WILD  SWEET  PEA.     CAT-GUT, 

{Plate  CXXIV.) 
Crdcca  Vzrgmia?ia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.     Y'ellowish  and  purple.     Scentless.         Southern  New  England  June,  July. 

southward  and  westward. 

Flowers :  growing  closely  in  a  terminal  cluster.  Calyx  :  five-cleft.  Corolla  : 
papilionaceous;  the  standard  broadly  ovate  and  notched  at  the  apex;  the 
wings  a  purplish  red.  ^S'/rtw^wj- ;  ten ;  nine  of  them  united.  Pislil :  one.  Pod: 
flat ;  linear.  Leaves  :  odd-pinnate,  with  smooth,  oval  leaflets.  Stem  :  slightly 
shrubby. 

It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  come  upon  the  goat's  rue  whose 
manner  of  growth  is  graceful  and  its  colouring  effective.  It 
would  seem  as  though  Dame  Nature  had  mixed  her  palette  to 
paint  it  in  accordance  with  her  taste  for  variety.  Again,  we 
lament  the  absence  of  fragrance,  which  we  unconsciously  expect 
to  find,  as  the  bloom  strongly  suggests  the  garden  sweet  pea. 

WILD  LUPINE. 

Luplnus  peren7iis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Blue.  Scentless.  Maine  to  Florida.  June,  July. 

Flowers:  growing  in  a  long,  terminal  raceme.  Calyx :  deeply  toothed. 
Corolla:  showy  ;  papilionaceous.  Leaves:  palmately  divided  into  seven  to 
eleven  lanceolate,  hairy  leaflets.       Stem  :  erect;  sometimes  branching;  hairy. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL.  241 

The  generic  name  of  this  lovely  plant,  which  means  a  wolf, 
was  bestowed  upon  it  because  it  has  been  supposed  to  devour 
and  exhaust  the  soil.  Well,  if  it  does  it  has  the  good  taste  to 
do  so  in  a  way  highly  considerate  of  its  neighbour's  feelings, 
and  one  that  it  would  be  well  if  all  wolves  would  imitate.  By 
spreading  itself  over  sandy,  waste  places  it  transforms  them 
into  an  under  sky  that  Venice  might  envy,  and  that  cheers  and 
delights  the  eye.  It  has  been  called  sun-dial,  as  its  leaves 
are  said  to  turn  to  face  the  sun  from  morning  until  evening. 
Old  maid's  bonnets  is  another  and  rather  amusing  common 
name  of  the  plant. 

In  eastern  North  America  we  have  but  two  species,  of  which 
our  plant  is  the  northern  representative.  The  southern  sister 
is  called  L.  villosus.  It  has  oblong  simple  leaves,  in  contrast  to 
the  above,  and  its  pods  are  beautifully  covered  with  soft,  silvery 
hairs. 

The  west  boasts  many  varieties  of  this  plant,  which  all 
closely  resemble  each  other.  They  are  among  the  peculiarly 
striking  and  attractive  of  our  wild  flowers. 

WILD,  OR  FALSE  INDIGO. 

Baptism  iinctbria. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Yellow.  Scentless.  General.  July. 

Flowers :  clustered  in  a  loose  raceme.  Calyx :  four,  or  five  toothed. 
Corolla:  papilionaceous,  the  banner  erect.  Leaves:  small,  divided  into  thrt-e 
obovate  leaflets,  glaucous  and  whitish  underneath.  Stem  :  much  branched 
slender. 

We  could  hardly  pass  on  without  mentioning  the  wild  indigo 

as  we   are  constantly  coming   across    it  in  the  sandy  soil.     It 

yields,  as  its  name  indicates,  a  rather  poor  sort  of  indigo. 

RATTLEBOX. 

Crotallaria  sagiitalis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Maine  westward.  July. 

Flowers :  small ;  seldom  more  than  two,  or  three  clustered  on  a  peduncle  ; 
Corolla :  papilionaceous.       Pods :    one  inch  in  length  ;  inflated,   and    having 


242  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

numerous  seeds.  Leaves:  short;  lanceolate^,;  almost  sessile  with  arrow-shaped 
stipules  at  the  base.  Stem  :  erect ;  much  branched  and  beset  with  dull 
bristles. 

After  the  seeds  have  ripened  and  become  detached,  the  pods 
of  this  plant  make  very  cunning  little  rattles,  as  every  country 
child  knows  ;  and  this  fact  is  referred  to  in  its  common  and 
Greek  names.  Unfortunately,  the  seeds  and  leaves  contain  a 
poisonous  substance  which  causes  animals  that  eat  of  them  to 
slowly  decline  in  vigour. 

C.  rotundifolia  is  a  prostrate  species  that  is  well  known  in 
parts  of  the, south  from  Virginia  to  Mississippi.  It  favours  a 
dryer  soil  than  the  above  plant.  Its  seed  pods  are  very  simi- 
lar. 


WILD  SENNA.   {Plate  CXXV) 

Cassia  Marildndica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Senna.  Yellow.  Scentless.  New  England  southward  J^iy- 

and  westward. 

Flowers:  growing  in  racemes  on  slender  axillary  peduncles.  Calyx:  of  five 
almost  separate  sepals.  Corolla  :  of  five  nearly  equal  petals,  two  of  which  are 
dotted  with  reddish  purple  at  the  base.  Stamens :  ten  ;  anthers,  irregular, 
blackish  and  often  imperfect.  Pods:  long;  hairy.  Leaves:  pinnate;  divided 
into  six  to  nine  narrowly  oblong  leaflets  tipped  with  a  little  point  at  the  top  and 
having  a  club-shaped  gland  at  the  base  of  the  petiole.  Stem:  four  to  ten  feet 
high  ;   smooth. 

If  there  are  rebels  among  the  flowers  the  wild  senna  surely  is 
one  ;  for  it  has,  apparently  without  rhyme  or  reason,  deserted  the 
papilionaceous  corolla  of  the  pulse  family  to  which  it  formerly 
belonged.  It  is  a  common  species  in  the  north  :  and  for  its 
beauty  has  been  cultivated  in  gardens.  The  dried  leaves  and 
pods  are  well  known  in  medicine,  being  used  for  similar  pur- 
poses as  those  for  which  the  oriental  senna  is  employed.  Wild 
senna  is  found  much  more  frequently  in  wet  meadows  or 
marshes  than  it  is  in  sandy  soil. 


PLATE  CXXV 


WILD  SENNA.     Cassia  Marilandica. 
PARTRIDGE  PEA.     Cassia  Chaincrcrista. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  CXXVI.     BEACH  PEA.     Lathyrus  maritimus. 
(243) 


244  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

PARTRIDGE  PEA.     LARGE  SENSITIVE  PLANT. 

{Plate  CXXV.) 
Cassia  ChamcEcrista. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOO^ 

Senna. 

Yellow. 

Scentless. 

Aliddle  states  southward 
and  west  to  the  Rockies. 

Late  summer. 

Flowers:  large;  growing  on  slender  axillary  flower-stalks.  Calyx:  of  five 
almost  separate  petals.  Corolla  :  one  and  a  half  inches  broad ;  of  five  pet- 
als; four  of  which  are  nearly  equal  and  two  dotted  with  purple  at  the  base;  the 
fifth  one  being  larger.  Stamens  :  iQW.,  anthers,  irregular,  of  which  some  are 
laden  with  a  yellow,  others  with  a  purple,  pollen.  Pistil:  one.  Pod:  flat. 
Leaves:  pinnate;  divided  into  ten  to  twenty  pairs  of  small,  linear,  sensitive 
leaflets  which  close  when  roughly  handled,  the  lowest  pair  possessing  a  club- 
shaped  gland  at  the  base. 

When  looking  at  the  illustration  it  would  appear  as  though 
the  wild  senna  and  the  partridge  pea  had,  to  amuse  themselves, 
played  at  exchanging  their  leaves,  for  the  eye  naturally  associ- 
ates the  larger  leaves  with  the  larger  flowers.  Just  the  reverse, 
however,  is  true,  and  the  strength  that  has  been  reserved  in  the 
small  leaves  of  the  partridge  pea,  bursts  forth  in  the  large 
bright  flowers  which  enliven  many  a  sandy  bank  in  late  summer. 
It  is  especially  in  the  south  that  its  bloom  is  most  perfect.  The 
sensitiveness  of  these  plants  to  the  touch  is  a  curious  feature. 

BEACH  PEA.     {Plate  CXXVI) 
Ldthyrus  7naritimus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.         Violet  purple.        Scentless.         A  long  the  coast.       Summer  and  early  autumn. 

Flowers  :  clustered  on  slender  axillary  peduncles.  Calyx  :  of  five  unequal 
sepals.  Corolla:  showy;  papilionaceous.  Stamens:  ten;  united.  Pistil: 
one.  Pod:  long;  narrow.  Leaves:  divided  into  three  to  five  pairs  of  oval, 
smooth  leaflets  ;  the  common  petiole  ending  in  a  tendril.     Stem  :  stout;  leafy. 

Wending  our  way  through  the  sand  dunes  that  guard  the 
approach  to  the  seashore  we  pass  the  beach  pea  growing  in 
low  clumps.  There  is  a  healthy  look  about  its  soft  green 
spotless  leaves,  and  the  varying  tones  of  its  purple  flowers  har- 
monise well  with  the  white  sand.  We  cannot  help  but  fancy 
that  it  feels  a  subtle  joy  in  its  powers  as  it  stretches  out  its 
firm  tendrils  to  raise  itself  upward. 


PLATE  CXXVII.     BUSH  CLOVER.     Lcspedeza prociimbcns. 
(245) 


246  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 


BUSH=CLOVER.     (^Plate  CXXVII.) 
Lespedeza  proci'unbens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Purplish  pink.  Scentless.  General.  Late  summer  and  autumn. 

Flowers :  terminally  clustered  on  peduncles.  Corolla :  papilionaceous,  the 
banner  petal  pointed  at  the  top.  Fods  :  flat;  jointed;  having  one  seed.  Leaves : 
divided  into  three  oblong,  clover-like  leaflets.     Stetn  :   procumbent. 

This  dainty  little  ground  weed  that  hugs  the  earth  so  closely, 
bears,  besides  the  large  terminal  flowers,  smaller  ones  that  are 
intermingled  with  the  others  and  grow  along  the  branches. 
Frequently  they  are  without  petals  and  are  the  more  fertile  of 
the  two.  In  sandy  places  in  the  late  season  members  of  this 
genus  abound  and  are  conspicuous  by  their  cloverlike  leaflets. 
Their  smooth,  single  or  double-jointed  pods  with  but  one  seed 
also  serve  to  distinguish  them  from  their  relatives,  the  Meibo- 
mias,  page  224,  Plate  CXVI. 

L.  capitata^  round-headed  bush-clover,  bears  cream-coloured 
flowers  spotted  with  purple  in  a  rounded  head,  or  capitulum, 
on  very  short  peduncles. 

Z.  frutescens.,  wand-like  bush-clover,  is  an  erect  species  with 
flowers  growing  closely  ;  thick  stems  and  many  leaves. 

L.  Virgi7iica,  slender  bush-clover,  has  flowers  in  oblong  heads 
and  linear  leaflets. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  specific  names  of  these  plants,  as 
is  customary,  indicate  their  peculiarities.  As  a  genus  they  are 
readily  recognised. 

HYSSOP  SKULLCAP.     {Plate  CXXVIII) 

Sadelldria  htiegrifdh'a. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

J  line- A  u^ust. 

Flowers  :  one  inch  long  ;  growing  in  terminal  racemes.  Calyx  :  two-lipped; 
the  upper  lip  covered  by  a  helmet-like  little  cap,  Corolla  :  two-lipped  with 
long  ascending  tube,  the  upper  lip  helmet-shaped  and  curving  over  the  lower 
lip,  which  is  flaring  and  indented  at  the  apex.  Stamens  :  four,  in  pairs  of  un- 
equal length.     Pistil:  one  ;  stigma,  two-lobed.    Leaves :  opposite;  lanceolate  to 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

Mint. 

Blue  or  violet. 

Scentless. 

Connecticut^  south- 
ivard  and  uuestward. 

PLATE  CXXVIII.     HYSSOP  SKULLCAP.     Scutellaria  mtegrifolia. 
HAIRY  SKULLCAP.     Scutellaria pUosa. 
(247) 


248  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

linear.     Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high.     The  whole  plant  is  covered   with  a  soft 
down. 

Nothing  can  be  more  bewitching  than  a  stalk  of  these  blue 
flowers  intermingled  with  their  light  green  leaves.  The  helmet- 
like petal  of  a  deep  purplish  blue  hangs  over  the  others  and 
gives  the  blossoms  an  odd  expression,  as  though  they  were 
simply  helmets  and  open  mouths  ;  the  latter  just  ready  to  snap 
out  any  morsel  of  gossip  that  might  be  interesting  to  the 
passers  by. 

S.  pilosa,  hairy  skullcap,  Plate  CXXVIII,  has  opposite 
roundish,  or  ovate  leaves,  and  flowers  growing  in  a  short  ra- 
ceme with  spatulate  bracts.  It  is  a  taller  species  than  the  pre- 
ceding and  is  more  pubescent.     The  blossoms  are  smaller. 

S.  lateriflora  and  S.  galericulata,  pages  126  and  127. 

BLUE=CURLS.     BASTARD  PENNYROYAL. 

Trichosthna  dichoiojnuni. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint. 

Blue^  turtiingto 

Fragrant. 

Mass.  to  Florida 

Late  summer  and 

purple. 

and  westward. 

autumn. 

Flowers:  single;  axillary,  or  in  raceme-like  clusters  at  the  ends  of  the 
branches.  Calyx:  tubular;  five-cleft.  Corolla:  two-lipped;  five-divided;  the 
upper  lobe  deeply  cleft.  Stamens:  four;  curved;  exserted  with  hairy  fila- 
ments. Pistil:  one;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite,  on  short  petioles; 
lanceolate;  entire;  rather  clammy.     Stem:  branching;    clammy. 

Blue  curls  does  its  best  to  be  agreeable  and  throws  out  an 
abundance  of  bloom  in  the  late  summer.  It  is  not,  however, 
very  pretty,  and  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  its  fragrance  is 
wholly  agreeable.  The  common  name  refers  to  its  hair-like 
curling  filaments. 

HORSE=MINT.     {Plate  CXXIX.) 

Mofidrda  punctata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.     Yellow  and  crimson.     Strongly  scented.   New  York  to  Illinois     July-September. 

and  southward. 

/?7^w^rj- ;  whorled  above  the  floral  bracts.  C<7/i'x  ;  short;  five-toothed.  Co- 
rolla: two-lipped;  narrow  in  the  throat;  pale  yellow,  spotted  with  deep  crimson. 
Floral  leaves:  whorled;  lanceolate;  pinkish  crimson,  veined  with  a  deeper 
colour. 


PLATE  CXXIX.    HORSE-MINT.     Monarda pU7ictata. 
(249) 


250  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

This  interesting  plant  is  found  in  great  abundance  in  the 
sandy  soil  of  New  Jersey.  The  arrangement  of  the  flowers 
makes  them  appear  as  though  they  had  assembled  in  court  to 
pronounce  judgment  on  some  unhappy  creature  and  that  they 
had  just  opened  their  mouths  to  snap  out  a  most  unfavourable 
verdict.  One  instinctively  hopes  that  Master  Bee  has  not  been 
shirking  his  duty,  for  they  have  a  very  angry,  spiteful  expres- 
sion. The  floral  bracts  of  rich  colouring  form  an  exquisite 
setting  for  their  assemblage. 

CAROLINA  CALAfllNT      {Plate  CXXX.) 
Calamintha  Caroliniana. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint. 

Purple,  or  white  spotted 
■with  a  darker  shade. 

Fragrant. 

Florida  to 
N.  Carolina. 

August,  September. 

Flowers  ,•  growing  in  cymes  of  six  flowers  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx  : 
tubular ;  two-lipped.  Corolla  :  long  ;  two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  notched  at  the 
apex  ;  the  lower  one  three-lobed.  Stamens  :  four  ;  curving  inward.  Pistil : 
one.  Leaves:  opposite  ;  oblong,  narrowing  into  a  slender  petiole  ;  pubescent; 
smaller  leaves  also  clustered  in  the  axils.     Slefu  :  erect;  branching  ;  leafy. 

C<3;/^;^;/;z//z(2,  meaning  in  Greek  beautiful  mint,  well  expresses 
this  member  of  the  genus.  It  range  is  unfortunately  limited, 
but  it  can  be  known  by  the  illustration. 


PAINTED  CUP, 

Castilleja  cocci nea. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figivort. 

Yello^v  with  vermilion 
Jioral  leaves. 

Scentless. 

Eastern  and 
7niddle  states. 

June. 

Flowers:  terminal;  growing  in  a  short  spike.  Calyx:  four-cleft;  yellow. 
Corolla  :  tubular;  two-lipped  ;  the  upper  lip  long,  erect  ;  the  under  one  shorter 
and  three-lobed.  Stamens:  four,  unequal.  Pistil:  one.  Z^fl'zrj- ;  those  of  the 
stem  unequally  divided  into  three,  pointed  lobes;  those  near  the  flower  cut 
into  three  bract-like  lobes  that  are  vermilion  in  colour  and  appear  like  the 
blossoms.     Stem  :  one  foot  high  ;    hairy. 

"  Now  if  thou  art  a  poet,  tell  me  not 
That  these  bright  chalices  were  tinted  thus 
To  hold  the  dew  for  fairies,  when  they  meet 
On  moonlight  evenings  in  the  hazel  bowers, 
And  dance  till  they  are  thirsty." 

— Bryant. 


PLATE  CXXX.     CAROLINA  CALAMINT.     Calamintha  CaroHniajia, 


252  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

It  would  seem  as  though  the  painted  cup  had  been  conscious 
of  the  insignificance  of  its  pale  yellow  bloom  and  so  had  called 
upon  the  loyalty  of  its  leaves  for  assistance.  They  then  re- 
sponded nobly  by  forming  about  them  a  scarlet  cloak  which 
enables  the  flower  to  appear  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of  all.  It 
blooms  in  such  profusion  that  a  sandy  meadow  where  it  grows 
suggests  that  it  is  traversed  by  some  vagrant,  wandering  flame. 

PURPLE  GERARDIA.     {Plate  CXXXI.) 
Gerdrdia  purpurea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figivort.        Pinkish  lavender.  Scentless.         North  and  south.        August.,  September. 

Flowers:  axillary;  growing  along  the  diverging  flower-stalks.  Calyx:  of 
five-toothed  sepals.  Corolla  :  one  inch  across  ;  tubular  ;  bell-shaped  with  five 
irregular  lobes  daintily  dotted  with  a  deeper  colour.  Stamens:  four,  in  pairs  of 
unequal  length;  downy.  Pistil :  one.  Fruit:  an  ovate,  pointed  pod.  Leaves: 
opposite  :  linear.     Stem  :  branched. 

A  lovely  little  flower  of  quaint  expression  which  peeps  at  one 
in  the  low  meadows.  It  is  very  frail  and  soon  drops  from  the 
stem  when  picked  ;  but  the  pretty  buds  come  out  well  after 
having  been  placed  in  water.  To  climate  it  is  very  susceptible, 
and  when  it  wanders  to  other  than  its  native  soil  the  bloom 
soon  shows  the  difference. 

G.  marifima  is  the  species  that  is  found  on  salt  meadows.  It 
is  seldom  over  a  foot  high,  while  the  preceding  plant  is  fre- 
quently four  feet  high.  The  flowers  are  also  smaller  and 
fainter  in  colour. 

They  have  both  forsaken  the  two-lipped  corolla  of  the  fig- 
wort  family,  as  have  the  foxgloves.  No  doubt  they  are  both 
of  them  a  trifle  perverse  ;  and  that  they  are  indolent  is  made 
certain  by  their  having  the  reputation  of  being  parasites. 

FLOWERING  SPURGE.     {Plate  CXXXII.) 

Euphorbia  corollata. 

FAMILY       COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Spurge,  White.  Scentless.  Mass.  to  Florida.  July-October. 

Flo7vers '.  staminate  and  pistillate;  growing  on  forked  branches  in  umbels, 
and  surrounded  by  a  five-lobed    corolla-like  involucre.     The   staminate  flowers 


PLATE   CXXXI.      PURPLE   GERARDIA.      Gerardia purpurea. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  CXXXll.     FLOWERING  SPURGE.     Euphorbia  cor  oil  ata. 
(253) 


254  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL. 

which  line  the  base  have  one  stamen  ;  the  pistillate  ones  which  grow  singly  in  the 
centre  have  a  three-lobed  ovary  and  three  styles.  Leaves :  ovate,  or  lanceolate  ; 
smooth.  S/em  :  two  to  three  feet  high;  divided  into  five-forked  umbels,  which 
again  divide  and  bear  the  flower-heads;  highly  coloured  with  purple. 

Patterning  itself  by  many  that  are  larger  and  perhaps  wiser, 
the  little  spurge  has  arranged  about  itself  a  set  of  bracts,  or  an 
involucre  that  is  commonly  mistaken  for  petals  ;  and  in  its 
centre  is  the  community  of  staminate  and  pistillate  blossoms. 
Although  the  medicinal  properties  of  spurges  are  said  to  have 
been  discovered  long  ago  by  King  Juba  of  Mauritania,  in  Africa, 
and  to  be  equally  well  known  to  our  own  Indians  ;  they  have 
not  altogether  the  sanction  of  many  for  such  use.  It  is 
certainly  true  that  aside  from  its  powers  of  purging  the  plant 
possesses  little  virtue.  It  belongs  to  a  poisonous  family  and 
must  be  proud  to  boast  of  the  faithful,  old  castor-oil  plant. 
Ricinus  communis,  as  a  member  of  the  same  natural  family. 

SAND  KNOTWEED.     COAST  JOINTWEED. 

Polygoiiella  articiilata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Buckwheat.  Rose  pink.  Scentless,  Maine  to  Florida.  September. 

Flowers  :  minute;  growing  nodding  in  a  spike-like  raceme;  each  flower  ap- 
pearing from  within  a  bract.  Calyx  :  unequally  five-parted.  Corolla  :  none. 
Stamens:  eight.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  three.  Leaves:  alternate;  sheathing 
the  stem;  linear  ;  jointed  at  the  base.     Stetn  :  upright;  branching;  thread-like. 

What  sweet  things  must  the  autumn  winds  whisper  to  the 
tiny  knotweed  as  they  sweep  along  the  coast,  to  make  it  tint 
the  sandy  plain  with  its  delicate  blush!  And  what  a  keen 
appreciation  the  little  plant  must  have  of  the  beauty  dear 
to  Dame  Nature's  heart  to  give  out  its  bloom  so  abundantly  ! 
It  seems  loath  to  leave  us,  and  often  lingers  well  on  into  the 
autumn. 

SANDY  SOIL  ASTERS. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Purple.,  blue  or  Scentless.  General.  Late  sumtner  and 

white.  early  azitunin. 

Flower-heads :  composed  of  tubular  and  ligulate  flowers^  or  ray  and  disk 
flowers.     The  rays  purple,  blue  or  white  and  the  disks  yellow. 


^     M    -      H   ASTER.     Aster Icevis. 
PLATE  CXXXIil.       -'  WHITE  WREATH   ASTER.     Aster  mu Hi florus. 


( 


LATE  PURPLE  ASTER.     Aster  patens. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  SANDY  SOIL.  255 

A.  spectdbilis^  low  showy  aster,  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the 
aster  family.  It  is  not  so  tall  as  its  proud  relatives  of  the 
swamps  ;  but  its  ray-flowers  are  longer  and  of  a  violet  purple 
that  any  monarch  might  envy.  It  is  the  beauty  of  the  sandy 
soil  all  along  the  coast  from  New  Hampshire  to  New  Jersey 
and  southward  where  it  lifts  its  regal  head  until  the  frost-biting 
breath  of  winter  causes  it  to  languish.  The  leaves  are  long 
and  pointed. 

A.  miiUiflbrus,  white  wreath  aster,  Plate  CXXXIII,  is  the  little 
white  one  that  skips  along  the  sandy  soil  with  A.  spectabilis. 
Its  flower-heads  are  about  one-half  an  inch  in  breadth,  very  nu- 
merous and  very  pretty.  They  have  a  crisp,  pert  expression  that 
enlivens  many  a  bunch  of  their  more  pretentious  sisters.  The 
upper  leaves  are  linear  with  a  broader  clasping  base. 

A.  surcitlhsus,  creeping  aster,  and  A.  gracilis,  slender  aster,  are 
two  violet  species  that  are  generally  found  from  New  Jersey 
southward.     The  pappus  of  each  of  them  is  nearly  white. 

SWEET  GOLDEN-ROD. 

Solidago  odbra. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite,        Dull  yellow.        Leaves  scejited        Maine  southward.       Late  sujumer  and 
like  anise.  early  autujnn. 

The  flowers  of  this  golden-rod  are  not  very  attractive,  but 
the  leaves  are  well  formed  and  shiny  with  smooth  edges. 
They  are  known  to  yield  a  volatile  oil.  In  the  pine  barrens  of 
New  Jersey  and  the  sandy  edges  of  thickets,  the  species  is  very 
common.     S.  juncea,  page  136,  Plate  LXIX. 

S,  tortifoiia,  twisted-leaf  golden-rod,  has  a  slender  stem,  with 
linear  sessile  leaves  that  are  veined  and  have  a  distinct  midrib. 
Their  peculiarity  is  that  they  are  so  often  twisted.  It  is  found 
in  sandy  soil  near  the  coast  and  mostly  from  Virginia  to 
Florida. 


Plants    Growing  in    Dry   Soil:    Upland 
Places,  Thickets  and  Meadows. 


*'  The  rain-drops  glistened  on  the  trees  around^ 
Whose  shadows  on  the  tall  grass  were  not  stirred. 
Save  when  a  shozver  of  diamonds,  to  the  groujid. 
Was  shaken  by  the  flight  of  startled  bird  ; 
For  birds  were  zvarbling  round,  and  bees  were  heard 
About  the  flower  sT 

— Bryant, 

SHAD-BUSH.  JUNE=BERRY.  SERVICE-BERRY. 

(Plate  CXXXIV.) 
Ameldnchier  Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Apple.  White,  Faint.  Neiv  England  west-  March-May. 

luard  and  southward 
to  Florida. 

Flcnoers  :  growing  in  loose  racemes.  Calyx :  five-cleft.  Corolla  :  of  five  al- 
most linear  petals  notched  at  the  apex.  Slame7is  :  numerous.  Pi s  It  Is :  nu- 
merous ;  styles,  five.  Fruit :  a  small  purplish  pome,  sweet  and  agreeable  to 
the  taste.  Leaves :  on  petioles  ;  ovate  ;  rounded  at  the  base  ;  serrated.  A 
shrub  or  tree,  ten  to  thirty  feet  high,  or  sometimes  reaching  the  height  of 
sixty  feet. 

"  Gay  circles  of  anemones 
Danced  on  their  stalks  ;  the  shad-bush  white  with  flowers 
Brightened  the  glens." — Bryant. 

When  the  shad  begin  to  frolic  in  the  spring  waters  this  beau- 
tiful shrub  unfolds  its  fleecy  petals  by  the  pasture  thickets.  As 
we  wander  forth,  it  waves  and  beckons  to  us  the  joyful  tidings 
that  the  spring  has  indeed  come.  The  translucent,  pale  green 
of  its  leaves  and  the  soft  creamy  whiteness  of  the  bloom  speak 


-7 


mv/ 


m 


^.51^ 


"\ 


PLATE  CXXXIV.     SHAD-BUSH.     Ame/anchier  Canade^isis 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN  AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  257 

of  the  unsullied  newness  of  its  life.     It  is  also  a  pretty  sight  in 
June  when  in  fruit. 

A.  alnifolia  is  a  smaller  shrub  of  the  west  which  has  been 
looked  upon  as  a  mere  variety.  The  petals  are  shorter  and  the 
fruit  more  rounded  than  that  of  the  preceding.  In  fact,  the 
several  wild  species  have  no  very  marked  differences,  and  are 
sometimes  regarded  as  one  by  botanists. 

YELLOW  STAR=GRASS. 

Hypoxis  hirsiita. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Amaryllis.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Maine  southward  and  Early  suvimer. 

westward. 

Flowers :  growing  singly,  or  a  few  in  a  cluster  at  the  end  of  a  naked  scape. 
Perianth  :  of  six  narrow  divisions,  within  yellow,  the  outside  green  and  slightly 
hairy.  Stamens  :  six.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  from  the  base  ;  sometimes  over  a 
foot  long ;  linear ;  grass-like. 

Long  ago  this  plant  was  called  the  yellow  star  of  Bethlehem. 
It  nestles  so  cosily  among  the  grasses  of  the  meadows  and 
thickets  that  from  afar  we  connect  its  bright  gleam  of  colour 
with  a  fire-fly  that  has  alighted  and  is  fluttering  his  wings.  On 
reaching  it  we  are  no  less  pleased  to  find  the  winsome  face  of 
the  yellow  star-grass.  It  is,  however,  in  no  sense  a  grass,  but 
quite  an  orthodox  little  member  of  the  amaryllis  family  ;  and 
one  of  the  oldest  known  of  American  flowers. 

BULBOUS  BUTTERCUP.    GOLDEN  CUPS.     (F/afg  C£.) 

Ra7iii7iciiliis  bulbbsus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Eastern  states.  May-July. 

Flowers:  large  ;. terminal ;  cup-shaped.  Calyx  :  reflexed  ;  of  five  sepals.  Co- 
rolla :  of  five,  six,  or  seven  petals.  Stamens :  numerous.  Pistils  :  several. 
Leaves :  much  divided ;  deeply  toothed.  Stem  :  herbaceous  j  erect  from  a 
round  bulb  and  having  an  acrid,  watery  juice. 

"  Heigh-ho  !  daisies  and  buttercups, 

Fair  yellow  daffodils,  stately  and  tall, 
When  the  wind  wakes  how  they  rock  in  the  grasses, 

And  dance  with  the  cuckoo-buds,  slender  and  small ; 
Here's  two  bonnie  boys  and  here's  mother's  own  lasses, 

Eager  to  gather  them  all." — Jean  Ingelow. 


258  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

Along  with  the  spring  come  the  buttercups,  and  crop  up 
everywhere  to  tell  us  that  a  sunny,  gay  time  is  in  store  for  us 
all.  The  earth  is  awake  and  bright  again,  and  the  blossoms 
appear  to  dance  and  skip  through  the  fields,  stopping  now  and 
then  to  sip  the  dew  and  make  merry  with  the  bees  and  butter- 
flies. None  is  more  warmly  welcomed  or  loved  more  dearly 
than  the  buttercups. 

R.  acris,  tall  or  meadow  buttercup,  is  common  in  the  fields 
and  meadows,  especially  in  the  northern  states.  It  is  erect, 
with  a  hairy  or  sometimes  glabrous  stem,  and  grows  from  two 
to  three  feet  tall.  As  the  preceding  species,  it  is  naturalised 
from  Europe. 

The  exquisite  grasses  on  the  plate  with  the  buttercups  and 
daisies  are  called  Poa  pratensis,  and  we  usually  find  them  all 
growing  closely  together. 

COMMON  BLUE  VIOLET.     (Fhite  CXXXV) 

Viola  cucidldta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Violet.  Ptcrple.  Scentless,  Arctic  regions  to  Florida  April,  May. 

and  westward. 

Flowers-  solitary;  terminal ;  growing  on  scapes.  Calyx-,  of  five  green  sepals 
extending  into  ears  at  the  base.  Corolla:  of  five  unequal  petals :  the  lower  one 
with  a  sac,  or  spur.  Stamens:  five,  short,  united  about  the  pistil.  Pistil:  one, 
short,  with  a  one-sided  stigma.  Leaves:  from  the  base;  roundish;  cordate. 
Scape :  ^\tVi.6.tx  \  leafless. 

The  violet  needs  little  description,  as  somewhere  in  every 
heart  it  has  its  own  resting  place.  Over  the  ragged  urchin 
and  the  mighty  Emperor  it  casts  its  subtle  enchantment  ;  for 
have  they  both  not  been  children  ?  It  is  in  childhood  that  the 
violet  makes  its  claim  to  the  heart ;  and  to  be  the  first  to  dis- 
cover that  it  has  peeped  through  the  crust  of  winter  and  to 
shout  in  triumph  of  superior  knowledge  that  the  violets  have 
come,  is  one  of  the  keenest  delights. 

In  France  the  popular  legend  concerning  the  violet  is  that 
one  day,  shortly  before  going  into  exile.  Napoleon  was  walking 
in  the  garden  at  Fontainebleu.     His  companions  were  General 


PI  ATr  rvYYV      vini  PT^  /  ^'^"^^'^  blanda,  Viola  Canadensis, 
PLATE  CXXXY.     VIOLETS.  |      pubescens,  Viola palmata. 


COPYRIGHT,   1899.    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  CXXXVI.    CRANBERRY  TREE.     Viburjium  Opulus, 
(259) 


26o  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

Bertrand  and  the  Due  de  Bassano,  with  whom  he  was  discussing 
his  future.  Whether  to  strike  a  blow  for  liberty  or  to  go 
quietly  to  the  island  of  Elba  was  the  problem.  His  attention 
was  diverted  by  a  child  picking  violets.  The  little  creature  of- 
fered them  to  Napoleon  and  they  were  accepted  in  silence. 
The  vein  of  superstition  that  was  always  present  in  his  nature 
controlled  his  thoughts  and  turning  to  his  companions  he  said  : 

"  Gentlemen,  I  am  thinking  of  that  child.  It  seems  that  by 
giving  me  these  flowers,  I  have  been  warned  to  imitate  for  the 
future  the  modesty  of  the  violet.  Henceforth  it  shall  be  the 
emblem  of  my  desires." 

"  Sire,"  said  Bertrand  boldly,  "  for  your  Majesty's  glory  I 
trust  the  desire  will  be  no  more  lasting  than  the  flower."  But 
it  was  not  so  ;  and  Napoleon  shortly  went  to  Elba. 

By  the  next  season  to  wear  in  Paris  a  bunch  of  violets  was 
thought  to  be  a  sign  of  imperialistic  sympathy.  In  fact,  they 
are  there  still  regarded  as  having  political  significance.  A 
legitimist  would  no  sooner  wear  one  than  he  would  the  tri-col- 
oured  flag  of  the  republic  ;  and  throughout  France  they  are  not 
worn  in  the  same  general  way  that  they  are  in  England  and 
America. 

MAPLE-LEAVED  VIBURNUM.     DOCKMAXIE.     ARROW- 

WOOD. 

Vibiirnum  acerifbliu7n. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Honeysuckle.  White.  Peculiar.         Maine  southward  and  May,  June. 

westward. 

Flowers :  small ;  perfect ;  growing  in  flat-topped  cymes  on  long  peduncles. 
C«/y;»r.-  five-toothed.  C^?W/^  ;  five-lobed.  Staineiis :  ^vq.  Pistil:  owq.  Fruit- 
a  drupe,  bright  crimson  turning  to  almost  black.  Leaves  :  ovate  to  orbicular; 
lobed ;  ribbed  ;  similiar  to  those  of  the  maple  tree.  A  shrub,  sometimes 
reaching  six  feet  high. 

AVhat  is  true  in  a  general  way  of  a  Viburnum  will  be  found  to 
be  true  of  them  all,  only  with  variations  in  the  details.  A  dis- 
tinct difference  in  V.  aceri  folium  is  that  it  is  without  the  neu- 
ter flowers  that  are  associated  with  V.  Opiilus  and  V.  alnifoliiun. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  261 

Its  leaves  might  readily  be  mistaken  for  those  of  a  young 
maple  tree,  while  the  blossoms,  or  beautiful  fruit,  protest  loudly 
against  such  an  error. 

V.prunifolium^  black-haw,  or  stag-bush,  has  almost  identical 
blossoms  with  the  above  which  grow  in  compound,  sessile 
cymes  ;  and  dark  blue  glacous  fruit,  quite  sweet  and  edible. 
The  leaves  are  bluntly  oval  or  pointed,  glossy  and  serrated. 
It  is  a  tall  shrub  from  eight  to  twelve  feet  high,  of  hard  red- 
ish-brown  wood  and  is  found  blossoming  early  in  the  season 
from  Connecticut  to  Florida  and  westward  to  Texas. 

V,  alnifolium,  page  188,  Plate  XCIX.      V.  Opulics,  page  118. 

POISON  IVY.     POISON  OAK. 

Rhus  radicans. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Sumac. 

White,  tinged  rvith 
green,  or  yellow. 

Scentless. 

Maine  southward  to 
Florida  and  westzvard. 

May,  June. 

Flowers:  small;  axillary;  perfect;  growing  in  loose  panicles.  Fruil :  clus- 
tered ;  a  small  whitish  berry.  Leaves ;  divided  into  three  ovate  leaflets  ; 
serrated  ;  sometimes  downy  underneath.     Stejn  :  climbing  by  means  of  rootlets. 

It  is  no  mark  of  genius  to  avoid  poison  ivy  after  one  has  had 
a  bad  case  of  poisoning  ;  but  it  is  a  wise  precaution  to  acquaint 
oneself  with  the  plant  and  then  to  be  content  to  admire  it  from 
a  distance.  Like  many  poisonous  plants  it  is  not  equally  in- 
jurious to  all  persons  or  forms  of  life.  The  goat,  the  mule 
and  the  horse  have  an  especial  fondness  for  eating  it;  and  its 
seeds  are  distributed  through  the  agency  of  crows  and  wood- 
peckers which  relish  them  keenly.  It  is  thought  to  be  the  least 
harmful  when  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun  is  shining  on  the  leaves. 

In  almost  any  kind  of  soil  it  will  thrive,  and  it  has  some 
appreciation  of  decorative  effects.  It  covers  old  stone  walls, 
clumps  of  trees,  traverses  the  open  meadows,  and  finds  its  way 
to  the  roadside  banks.  Jack  Frost  is  its  greatest  enemy,  and 
the  first  cool  days  of  autumn  change  its  green  leaves  to  many 
tints  of  yellow  and  crimson. 

R.  Toxicodendron  is  peculiar  to  the  Southern  states.  Its  lobed 
leaflets  are  very  pubescent. 


262  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

SnOOTH  UPLAND  OR  SCARLET  SUflAC. 

Rhus  glabra. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

^ztmac.  IVhite.  Scentless.  Maine  southward  to  June-August. 

Florida  and  westward. 

Flowers :  growing  in  compact  terminal  panicles.  Fruit:  velvety,  crimson 
hairy  berries,  clustered  in  bunches  nine  to  ten  inches  long  ;  acid  and  pleasant 
to  the  taste.  Leaves:  one  foot  long;  odd-pinnate;  divided  into  eleven  to 
thirty-one  lanceolate,  serrate,  glabrous  leaflets.  A  shrub  usually  four  to  twelve 
feet  tall,  although  at  times  reaching  twenty  feet  high. 

"  Still  sits  the  schoolhouse  by  the  road, 

A  ragged  beggar  sunning  ; 
Around  it  still  the  sumachs  grow 

And  blackberry  vines  are  running." — Whittier. 

What  an  irresistible  charm  the  sumacs  must  have  lent  to 
the  little  schoolhouse  that  Whittier  tells  us  about,  and  how 
often  the  girls  and  boys  must  have  thrust  their  firm,  little  fin- 
gers in  among  the  closely  packed  bunches  of  berries. 

R.  glabra  is  our  most  common  species  of  the  fields  and 
waysides  and  is  very  decorative  in  the  autumn.  The  shape  of 
the  clusters  and  their  crimson  colour  at  once  gain  our  confi- 
dence, as  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  berries  of  the  poi- 
sonous species  of  the  swamps,  R,  Vernix,  page  53,  are  whilish 
and  grow  in  axillary  panicles. 


FIVE=FINGER.  COMMON  CINQUEFOIL. 

Polentllla  Ca7iade7isis. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose. 

Yellow. 

Faintly  fragrant. 

Maine  soutJiivard 
and  westward. 

April-A  ugust. 

Flowers  ;  small  ;  solitary  ;  axillary.  Calyx  :  of  five  narrow  sepals,  alternat- 
ing with  an  under  row  of  delicately  pointed  bracts.  Corolla :  of  five  rosaceous 
petals.  ^  Stamens  ;  numerous.  Pistils  :  numerous,  forming  a  head.  Leaves  : 
divided  into  three  obovate  leaflets,  the  two  lateral  ones  again  divided  and  mak- 
ing the  five  stubby  fingers  which  have  suggested  its  name.  Stem  :  growing 
close  to  the  ground  ;  silky.     The  plant  spreads  by  runners. 

One  of  our  dearest  little  field  blossoms  whose  cherry  yellow 
head  peeps  out  among  the  grass  in  early  spring.     We  find  it 


PLATE  CXXXVII,     SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL.     PotctitiUafrutkosa. 

(263) 


264  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

when  we  follow  some  stone  wall  to  a  place  where  we  know  a 
spreading  patch  of  f raises  des  bois,  as  the  French  call  the  wild 
strawberries,  is  in  bloom.  The  little  plant  is,  in  fact,  often 
called,  although  erroneously,  wild  strawberry.  Perhaps  we  at- 
tempt to  carry  it  away,  but  it  is  indignant  at  such  treatment 
and  its  petals  droop  quickly  after  leaving  their  shady  home. 

SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL.     {Plate  CXXXVII.) 
PotcJitllla  fruticbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  Yellow.  Scentless.         Eastern  states  and  westward.  All  summer. 

The  flowers  of  this  plant,  although  larger,  are  very  similar  in 
arrangement  to  those  of  the  common  cinquefoil.  It  seems  to 
be  the  patriarch  of  the  family  and  has  from  five  to  seven  long, 
narrow  leaflets,  which  are  more  flattering  in  shape  to  the  fingers 
after  which  it  was  christened  than  those  of  the  rest  of  the 
genus.  It  also  grows  as  high  as  four  feet,  and  is  very 
shrubby. 

The  plant  is  a  good  example  of  the  theory  that  is  now  ac- 
cepted, and  the  one  through  which  Goethe  appeared  on  the  plat- 
form of  science.  It  is  that  of  the  morphology  of  the  suddenly 
arrested  branch  into  the  flower.  The  circular  growth  of  the 
leaves  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  sepals  and  petals,  and  which 
are  in  reality  nothing  but  transformed  leaves.  The  calyx  has  a 
double  row  of  five  sepals,  the  outer  one  spreading  and  the  inner 
one  bent  to  give  some  protection  to  the  naked  seeds.  There 
are  also  five  petals.  The  stamens  are  then  naturally  in  some 
multiple  of  five.  When  the  growth  is  very  rapid  it  is  some- 
times the  case  that  some  of  these  parts  are  obliterated. 

Shrubby  cinquefoil  is  most  capricious  of  soil  and  locality, 
and  is  said  to  circle  the  globe.  In  the  eastern  states  it  favours 
low,  moist  meadows  or  even  swamps,  but  chooses  drier  soil  as 
it  travels  westward,  until  in  Michigan  it  flourishes  in  sandy  soil. 
To  a  classification  according  to  soil  its  vagaries  are  not  only 
trying,  but  inexcusable. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  265 

SILVERY  OR  HOARY  CINQUEFOIL. 

Potcntilla  argcntca. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  Yellow.  Scentless.  Eastern  and  middle  states.  All  sufuntt-r. 

Very  similiar  to  the  preceding  species  are  the  large  handsome 
flowers  of  the  silvery  cinquefoil.  The  palmately-divided  leaves, 
however,  are  distinguished  by  the  silver-like  floss  which  covers 
their  under  surface.  They  appear  to  be  without  vanity  and 
have  lost  all  concern  about  having  their  fingers  slender  and 
tapering.     We  find  them  ragged  and  unkept. 

F.  Monspeliensis,  rough  cinquefoil,  grows  in  dry  soil  and  has 
quite  an  extended  range.  In  cultivated  ground  it  occurs  as  a 
weed. 

The  generic  name  of  these  plants  refers  to  the  medicinal  pro- 
perties for  which  they  were  formerly  noted.  Thoreau  men- 
tions that  in  one  of  his  walks  he  met  an  old  wood-tortoise  eat- 
ing the  leaves  of  the  early  potentillas,  and  soon  afterwards  an- 
other deliberately  eating  sorrel.  They  impressed  him  as  know- 
ing the  virtues  of  the  herbs,  and  being  able  to  select  the  ones 
best  suited  to  the  condition  of  their  bodies. 

HOUND'S  TONGUE. 

Cyitoglossiim  officinale. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Borage.        Purplish  red,  or  white.         Unpleasant.  Mostly  east.  June,  July. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  a  curved  raceme  that  straightens  as  the  flowers  mature. 
Calyx:  five-parted.  Corolla:  funnel-form;  five-lobed.  Stamens:  five. 
Pistil:  one.  Fruit:  a  nutlet  covered  with  prickles.  Leaves:  alternate; 
ovate-lanceolate  ;  the  lower  ones  on  petioles  ;  slightly  heart-shaped  at  base  ; 
the  upper  ones  sessile  ;  hairy.  Stem  :  two  to  three  feet  high  ;  branching  ; 
hairy. 

As  we  have  found  no  good  for  which  this  plant  is  responsible, 
we  must,  according  to  Mr.  Emerson,  call  it  a  weed.  It  bears 
the  title  with  dignity,  for  it  is  a  handsome  creature  with  a 
beautiful  velvety  leaf  ;  but  how  it  ever  ventures  to  raise  its  head 
in    face   of  the  anathemas   showered   upon   it    by   the   farmers 


266  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

and  wool-growers  is  quite  a  mystery.  Its  bur-like  fruit  has  the 
most  wicked  propensity  for  attaching  itself  to  the  fleece  of 
sheep.  Detractors  have  also  likened  its  odour  to  that  of  a  nest 
of  mice  ;  but  as  this  is  quite  a  common  expression  with  country 
people  and  means  about  as  much  as  telling  the  sick  they  look 
as  pale  as  a  black  dog,  there  may  be  a  little  exaggeration  in  the 
statement.  The  resemblance  of  its  leaves  to  the  shape  of  a 
hound's  tongue  is  responsible  for  its  name. 

VIPER'S=BUGLOSS.     BLUEWEED.     {Plate  CXXXVIII.) 

£.chiu7)i  vulgare. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Borage.  BriUia7it  blue^  with  Scentless.  Eastern  states.  June^  July, 

pink  buds. 

Flowers  :  small  ;  thickly  clustered  on  one  side  of  a  spike  that  unfolds  as  the 
flowers  expand.  Ca/yx :  five-parted.  Corolla  ;  funnel-form  ;  of  five  lobes  ; 
three  of  vi^hich  are  shorter  than  the  others.  Stamens :  five,  unequal  ;  exserted  ; 
red.  Pistil  :  one  ;  styles,  two.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  lanceolate  ;  very  hairy  ; 
wavy  on  the  edges.     Stem  :   about  two  feet  high  ;  rough  ;    hairy. 

When  seen  from  a  distance  the  blue  flowers  of  the  viper's 
bugloss  are  hardly  credited  with  having  the  brilliancy  of  colour 
that  they  are  found  to  possess  on  a  closer  examination.  The 
pink  buds  and  red  protruding  stamens  are  an  invaluable  feature 
of  the  plant  and  play  their  part  in  lightening  the  otherwise 
heavy  effect  of  the  green.  When  growing  along  the  roadsides, 
its  extreme  hairiness  attracts  an  immense  amount  of  dust  and 
not  until  it  has  been  shaken,  or  washed  off,  is  the  prettiness  of 
the  blossoms  seen.  The  pink  buds  and  uncoiling  growth  of  the 
bunches  call  to  mind  the  little  forget-me-nots  of  which  it  is  a 
relative. 


GROUND  IVY.     GILL=OVER=THE=GROUND. 

Glecbma  hederacea. 

FAMILY       COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.  Blue.         Leaves  fragrant.         New  England  southward.  March-May. 

Flowers ;  axillary ;  growing  singly  or  in  clusters  along  the  flower-stalk. 
Calyx  :  small;  five-toothed.  Corolla  ;  tubular;  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  two- 
cleft;  the  lower  one  three-cleft  with   the  middle  lobe  much   larger  than  the 


I, 


.Ait  ^aaXVIII.    VIPER'S  BUGLu 


oo.       j-.c/iiiiui   ,ni'-iitc'. 


COPYRIGHT,   1899,   BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  267 

others.  Stamens  :  four;  the  anther-cells  approach  and  form  a  little  cross,  /"/j- 
//V:  one;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite;  on  petioles;  roundish  kidney- 
shaped  ;  smooth.     Stem  :  creeping  ;  trailing. 

This  is  the  little  plant  that  the  English  love  so  dearly  and 
which  blooms  abundantly  in  the  pasturage  every  springtime. 
We  have  hardly  the  same  fondness  for  it  here  and  rather  resent 
the  calm  manner  in  which  it  has  taken  possession  of  the  soil, 
especially  where  it  is  most  distasteful  to  cattle.  It  is  allied  to 
our  catnep,  also  a  European  plant,  and  was  formerly  much  used 
as  a  medicine. 

We  are  frequently  amused  to  watch  the  growth  and  self 
satisfaction  of  many  European  plants  that  establish  themselves 
in  this  country  and  sometimes  exterminate  those  native  to  the 
soil.  What  advantage  have  they,  we  naturally  ask,  that  makes 
them  triumphant  in  the  survival  of  the  fittest?  Very  probably 
it  is  because  they  leave  their  destroying  insects  on  the  other 
side  of  the  water.  If  this  is  so  we  cannot  but  sympathise  with 
them  in  their  attempt  to  flee  from  persecution. 


AMERICAN  PENNYROYAL. 

Hedebma  pulegioides. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mini.        Purplish  blue.       Strongly  scented.       New  England  south-  Midsummer. 

•ward  and  westward. 

Flowers:  small;  axillary;  whorled.  Calyx:  two-lipped.  Corolla:  two- 
lipped;  the  upper  lip  erect  and  notched,  the  lower  lij)  three-lobed.  Stamevs  : 
two.  Pistil:  one;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite;  on  petioles;  ovate; 
pungent  to  the  taste.     Stem  ;  low;  erect:  branching  ;  square  ;  hairy. 

A  place  that  is  remembered  in  connection  wnth  this  well- 
known  little  plant  is  a  teeing  ground  of  a  golf  course  in  a  high 
upland  meadow  in  Dutchess  county.  There,  bordering  the 
hard-packed  square  of  dirt,  it  grows  in  great  profusion  and 
can  be  scented  from  a  considerable  distance.  We  can  well  be- 
lieve in  its  medicinal  properties  ;  for  even  to  nibble  at  tlie  leaves 
on  a  warm  day  is  refreshing.  It  is  closely  allied  to  Mentha 
Pulegium,  the  true  pennyroyal  of  Europe. 


268  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 


LARGE=FLOWERED  VERBENA.      {Plate  CXXXIX.) 

Verb  ma  Canadensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Vervain.  Purple.  Scentless.  Florida  to  S.  Carolina  A/ay-August. 

atid  westward. 

Flowers  :  growing  closely  in  terminal  spikes.  Calyx  :  tubular  ;  with  five  un- 
equal teeth,  long,  slender.  Corolla  :  salver-shape  ;  long  ;  with  five  lobes  ; 
bearded  in  the  throat.  Sta?ne7is  :  four,  included.  Fistil  :  one  ;  stigma,  two- 
lobed.  Leaves:  opposite;  tapering  into  a  long  petiole;  thrice  divided  and 
the  lobes  deeply  toothed;   hairy.     Ste7}i  :  creeping  at  the  base;  forking  ;  hairy. 

Asa  hardy  plant  this  verbena  is  rivalled  by  few  in  brightness 
of  expression.  It  is  not  so  beautiful  as  the  Brazilian  varieties 
which  receive  so  much  consideration  from  the  gardeners,  but  it 
has  many  of  their  characteristics,  and  is  intermingled  with 
them  in  cultivation.  In  the  language  of  flowers  these  plants 
have  been  chosen  as  emblems  of  sensibility. 

COMMON  EVENINQ=PR1MR0SE. 

Onagra  biennis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Evening  primrose.         Pale  yellow.  Fragrant.  General.  June-September. 

Flowers :  large  ;  clustered  on  a  leafy  spike.  Calyx :  tubular,  of  four  long, 
pointed  sepals.  Corolla  :  often  two  inches  broad,  of  four  obcordate  petals  del- 
icately veined  with  green.  Stamens:  eight.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  four- 
branched.     Leaves  :  alternate  ;  lanceolate ;  thick.     Stem  :  erect ;  hairy. 

Those  that  see  the  evening-primrose  only  in  the  daytime  have 
no  conception  of  its  fairness  when  it  opens  its  petals  to  commune 
with  the  night  revellers.  Among  them  are  the  rarest  of  Na- 
ture's children  which  under  the  stars  come  out  from  their  hid- 
ing places.  Many  of  the  loveliest  flowers  reserve  their  beauty 
and  exquisite  fragrance  to  bestow  upon  the  night.  They  are 
visited  by  moths  and  insects  that  far  surpass  in  beauty  those 
of  the  day  and  which  are  never  seen  until  the  earth  is  wrapped 
in  her  dark  mantle.  The  sweetest  singing  birds  and  the  most 
beautiful  animals  are  then  flying  and  roving  about.  There  is 
music  in  the  flap  of  the  pink  night  moth's  wing  and  all  the 
buzzing  noises  of  the  night.     The  evening  primrose  is  then  in 


PLATE  CXXXIX.     LARGE-FLOWERED  VERBENA.      Verbena  Canadensis. 

(269) 


270  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

its  glory  :  the  next  day  its  fragile  petals  are  wofuUy  faded 
The  plant  itself  is  coarse  and  unattractive. 

SCAPOSE  PRIMROSE.     {Plate  CXL.) 
Pachylophus  ccBSpitbsus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Evening  primrose.     Wliite  or  pink.         Scentless.         Nebraska  south-  June.,  July. 

ward  and  westward. 

Flowers:  large;  one  and  a  half  to  five  inches  broad;  terminal;  solitary. 
Calyx  :  with  four  linear  sepals.  Corolla  :  with  four  obcordate,  spreading  petals. 
Stamens :  eight,  with  linear  anthers.  Pistil :  one  ;  stigma,  four-cleft.  Fruit  : 
growing  in  a  cluster  at  the  base.  Leaves  ;  from  the  base;  lanceolate;  tapering 
into  a  slender  petiole  ;  pubescent.  Flower-stalks :  ciliate,  or  beset  with  white 
hairs. 

It  is  owing  to  the  growth  of  the  fruit  of  this  superb  flower 
that  it  has  been  separated  from  the  Oenothera  division  of  the 
primrose  family,  and  no  longer  bears  the  name  of  CEnothera 
marginata,  as  it  did  at  one  time.  The  plant  from  which  the 
illustration  was  drawn  was  a  particularly  well  developed  and 
perfect  specimen.  The  blossoms  were  fully  five  inches  in  dia- 
meter. Near  the  Blue  Mountains  and  about  the  Salmon  Falls 
of  the  Snake  River,  they  unfold  generously  their  silken  petals. 

ALLEN'S  SUNDROPS. 

K7ieiffia  A  lien  I. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Evening  primrose.       Pale  yellow.       Scentless.       Eastern  Long  Island.  Summer. 

Flowers:  on  long  pedicels  in  loose  corymb-like  clusters.  Calyx:  with  a  long 
tube  and  four  lobes.  Corolla:  of  four  rounded  petals.  Stame7is :  eight 
wath  long  versatile  anthers.  Pistil:  one  ;  stigma,  four-branched.  Leaves : 
alternate  ;  lanceolate.  Stem  :  branched  ;  leafy  ;  somewhat  rough.  Pods  :  cu- 
cumber-shaped ;  four  angled  at  the  top. 

An   Open  dry   place   that  is  brightened  by  clusters  of  these 

flowers  appears   as   though   the  sun   were   dancing  among   the 

green  leaves  of  the  plant.     The  blossoms  are  slightly  deeper  in 

colour  than  those  of  the  evening  primrose  and  remain  open  in 

the  sunshine.       Probably  they  do  not  depend  upon  the    pink 

night  moth  for  fertilization  as  they  are  without  the  fragrance 

that    attracts   him  to   the   evening   primrose.     They  are    very 

perishable  and  droop  shortly  after  being  picked. 


PLATE  CXL.     SCAPOSE  PRIMROSE.     Pachylophus  ccrspitosits. 
(271) 


272  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

FIRE=WEED.     GREAT  OR  SPIKED  WILLOW=HERB. 

CJiani(xnerio)i  august  if blimn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Evening pri}7irose.        Magenia.        Scentless.       New  England  south-       June-September. 

■ward  and  westward. 

Flowers:  large  ;  growing  in  a  long  terminal  raceme  which  is  slightly  nod- 
ding. Calyx:  deeply  four-lobed.  Corolla:  of  four  petals  with  short  claws. 
Sta?neiis:  eight.  Pistil:  one;  stigma,  four-lobed.  Pods:\ox\^\  narrow,  the 
seeds  having  white,  silky  tufts.  Leaves:  alternate;  lanceolate  ;  almost  linear; 
willowy.     Stem :  at    most  eight  feet  high  ;  erect  ;    leafy  ;  smooth. 

Dame  Nature,  with  her  wonderfully  impartial  heart,  has  pro- 
vided this  handsome  plant  to  grow  abundantly  in  soil  that  has 
been  burned  over  and  therefore  made  black  and  unsightly  to 
the  eye.  It  also  strays  into  dry  meadows  and  peeps  out  on  the 
roadsides.  It  is  a  conspicuous  plant  with  deep  hued,  delicate 
blossoms  which  show  their  kinship  to  the  evening  primrose. 


PASSION  FLOWER.     {Plate  CXLI.) 
Passiflbra  zncarndta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Passion  Jlo7uer.      Purple.       Faintly  ^fragrant.     Virginia  and  Kentucky        Summer. 

southward. 

Flowers:  solitary  ;  axillary  ;  frequently  having  three  bracts  underneath. 
Calyx:  tubular  ;  of  five,  or  more  divisions,  highly-coloured  inside.  Corolla: 
of  five,  or  more  petals  which  rest  upon  the  throat  of  the  calyx  and  appear  to 
form  a  background  for  the  heavy  circular  fringe  made  by  numerous  outreach- 
ing  rays.  Stamens:  five,  with  long  versatile  anthers,  their  filaments  united  to  a 
rod-like  stalk  that  upholds  the  ovary.  Styles:  three  ;  spreading  ;  club- 
shaped.  Leaves :  alternate  ;  deeply  three-cleft ;  serrated.  Stem  :  woody  ; 
branching  ;   climbing  by  means  of  axillary  tendrils. 

It  is  in  the  dense  forests  of  Brazil  that  the  passion  flowers  are 
seen  in  all  the  majesty  of  their  native  loveliness.  Their  hue  is 
brighter  there  than  elsewhere,  the  flowers  are  larger  and  they 
have  a  rare  fragrance  that  is  lost  to  a  great  extent  in  the  North 
American  species.  There,  the  delicate,  curious  blossom  first 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  early  Roman  Catholic  mission- 
aries, who,  with  fire  and  sword,  were  spreading  the  religion  of 
love  and  gentleness.  To  them,  it  seemed  that  the  flower  held 
before  their  vision  all  the  dreadful  details  of  the  crucifixion. 


r3P^=?5;^Gaj 


i 


\ 


\ 


■'*1'^///, 


PLAIE  CXLI.     PASSIONFLOWER,     rassijioni  ^ludynaUi. 

COPYRIBHT,   1899,  bV  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 

PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  273 

''  The  crown  of  thorns  in  the  fringes  of  the  flowers,  nails  in  the 
styles  with  their  capitate  stigmas,  hammers  to  drive  them  in  the 
stamens,  cords  in  the  tendrils."  The  sponge  and  the  five 
wounds  of  Christ  were  also  pointed  out  to  strengthen  the  in- 
vaders in  the  belief  that  their  doings  were  sanctioned  by  the 
divine  will. 

The  flower  is  still  the  one  among  all  other  flowers  that  is  held 
in  veneration  ;  for  it  is  associated  with  the  passion  above  all 
other  conceptions  of  our  Saviour. 

It  remains  open  but  for  a  single  day. 

P.  liitea,  yellow  passion  flower,  grows  southward  and  westward 
from  Pennsylvania.  Its  leaves  are  very  broad  and  the  lobes 
much  rounded. 

COMflON  ST.  JOHN'S=WORT. 

Hyph-icum  perforatum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

St.  John'' s-ivort.  Deep  yellozv.         Scentless.        Mostly  northeast.  Siuiuiu-r. 

Flowers:  growing  in  clusters.  Calyx:  of  five  pointed  sepals.  Corolla  :  oi 
five  petals  dotted  with  black.  Stamens  :  very  numerous.  Pistil  :  one,  with 
three  branching  styles.  Leaves:  opposite;  sessile  ;  oblong  ;  dotted;  pellu- 
cid.    Stem  :    branched  ;   leafy.    Juice  :    acrid. 

The  only  one  of  the  family  in  our  flora  that  is  not  a  native. 
There  is  no  doubt,  however,  but  that  it  has  taken  out  its 
papers  of  naturalisation  as  it  is  quite  at  home  here  and  pursues 
a  course  of  rapid  soil-exhausting  growth,  which  no  doubt  is 
answerable  for  many  grey  hairs  in  the  poor  farmer's  head. 

The  flower  received  its  name  from  an  ancient  superstition 
that  on  St.  John's  day,  June  24,  the  dew  that  had  fallen  on  the 
plant  was  possessed  of  a  peculiar  efficacy  to  preserve  the  eye- 
sight It  was  therefore  collected,  dipped  in  oil,  and  made  into 
a  balm,  which  served  equally  well  for  every  wound — "  balm-of- 
the-warrior's  wound"  being  one  of  its  early  names.  It  was 
also  gathered  on  St.  John's  eve  to  be  hung  at  the  doors  and 
windows,  and  in  Scotland  was  even  carried  about  in  the  pockets 
as  a  safeguard  against  evil  spirits  and  witchcraft.  Maidens  had 
faith  in  it  as  foretelling  by  its  vigourous  or  puny  growth  whether 


274  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

the  coming  year  would  make  them  brides.  It  has  been  lauded 
in  ancient  poetry,  and  probably  more  associated  with  good  and 
evil  than  any  other  plant. 

Sarothra  gentiandides,  orange-grass,  or  pine-weed,  has  tiny 
flowers  of  a  deep  yellow  scattered  along  the  branches.  The 
leaves  are  small,  erect  and  wiry.  It  is  commonly  found  in  dry, 
sterile  or  sandy  soil  from  Maine  southward  and  westward. 
The  generic  name  of  the  plant  was  formerly  Hypericum  nudi- 
caule. 

INDIAN  TOBACCO. 

Lobelia  infiata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Lobelia.  Violet^  blue,  or  white .  Scentless.  General.  June-August. 

Flowers:  axillary;  growing  in  terminal,  leafy  racemes.  Calyx:  tubular; 
inflated;  veined;  five-cleft.  Corolla:  tubular;  split  down  the  upper  side; 
the  five  lobes  very  regular.  Stamens:  five;  united;  the  anthers  bearded. 
Pistil:  one.  Pod:  inflated.  Leaves:  sessile;  ovate;  hairy.  Stem:  one  to 
two  feet  high  ;   erect  ;  branched  ;    hairy. 

Unfortunately  this  lobelia  does  not  shed  abroad  a  very  en- 
nobling influence  among  its  companions.  Its  narcotic  proper- 
ties are  well  known  and  have  been  rather  indiscriminately  used 
by  the  Indians.  They  chew  and  smoke  the  dried  leaves,  which 
have  a  bitter  flavour  like  tobacco.  The  plant  is  a  poisonous 
one  and  has  been  largely  employed  as  an  emetic.  It  is,  in  fact, 
a  rather  plebeian  relative  of  the  cardinal  flower. 

CORN=COCKLE.  CORN- ROSE. 

Agrostemina  Githago. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Fink.  Crimson  J>urple.  Scentless.  General.  July-September. 

Flowers:  terminal;  solitary.  Calyx:  large,  with  five  linear  lobes  alternating 
with  and  exceeding  the  corolla.  Corolla :  oi  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens: 
ten.  Pistil :  one  ;  styles,  five.  Leaves  :  opposite  ;  linear-lanceolate  ;  pale  green ; 
hairy.     Stem:  stout,  erect;  much  branched;  four-angled. 

The  generic  name  lychnis,  which  was  formerly  applied  to  this 
plant  and  which  means  a  lamp  or  light,  expressed  well  the  effect 
of  the  corn-cockle  in  our  grain  fields.  It  illuminates  them  with 
ablaze  of  crimson  light  and  causes  the  traveller  to  exclaim,  the 
fields  here  are  as  beautiful  as  they  are  in  England. 


(  CALIFORNIA   POPPY.     Jisc/!Sc/io//.iM  Califoniica, 
PLATE  CXLIl.      I  Eschscholtzia  cccspitosa. 

C0PYHI3HT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 


PLANTS  GROWINCx  IN  DRY  SOIL.  275 

But  the  farmer  and  the  artistic  eye  seem  to  be  always  at 
variance.  He  understands  the  seriousness  of  things  and  re- 
gards the  plant  as  an  impudent  foreigner  that  has  secured  first 
a  footing,  then  a  home,  and  finally  a  kingdom  in  his  corn  fields. 
The  cockle  is  also  alarmingly  clever.  It  mixes  its  black  seeds 
with  those  of  the  grain  and  so  increases  its  dominion  every 
year.  They  draw  tears  of  lamentation  from  the  sturdy  miller 
who  prides  himself  on  his  flour's  purity  and  whiteness. 

The  plant  also  contains  a  poisonous  ingredient  called  sapo- 
nin which  is  freely  soluble  in  water  and  when  inhaled  produces 
violent  sneezing.  It  is  known  that  a  small  quantity  of  bread 
that  contains  these  seeds  if  eaten  regularly  will  produce  a  pe- 
culiar and  chronic  disease. 

CALIFORNIA  POPPY.     {Plate  CXLII) 
Eschscholtzia  Calif ornica. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Poppy.       Ora7tge  red  or  yellow.         Juice^like  iituri-        Cali/ontia.         June-September. 

atic  acid. 

Flowers:  large;  solitary.  Calyx:  of  two  sepals  that  form  a  pointed  cap 
which  drops  off  as  the  petals  expand.  Corolla:  of  four  concave  petals.  Sta- 
mens :  numerous.  Capsule  :  one-celled  and  covered  by  the  compound  stigma. 
Leaves:  dissected,  pale,  glaucous.  Stem:  twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high; 
the  end  dilated  into  a  top-shaped  receptacle  with  a  broad  rim  upon  which  are 
the  stamens.    Juice  :  watery  ;  narcotic. 

"  How  gently,  O  sleep, 

fall  thy  poppies  on  me  !" — Ed.  Johnson. 

The  flowers  from  which  the  illustration  was  taken,  were 
picked  in  Santa  Rosa,  California.  There,  to  see  the  fields 
aglow  with  the  silky,  flame-coloured  beauties,  which  have  every 
variety  of  tint  from  pale  yellow  to  deep  orange,  is  most  en- 
chanting. 

At  one  time,  when  China  wished  to  prevent  the  large  use  of 
opium  which  is  extracted  from  the  opium  poppy,  she  destroyed 
an  immense  quantity  of  plants  that  belonged  to  British  mer- 
chants and  as  a  result  became  involved  in  her  first  war  with 
England.  To  this  poppy,  therefore,  is  due,  in  a  measure,  the 
opening  of  China  and  Japan  to  the  commerce  of  the  world. 


276  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

The  ancients  gave  poppies  to  the  dead,  and  as  typifying 
sleep  they  were  regarded  as  the  world's  great  comforter. 

E.  cczspitbsa  is  the  name  of  the  smaller  and  brilliant  poppy 
that  is  represented  in  the  illustration, 

CELANDINE  POPPY. 

Styl6phoru7)i  diphylluin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Poppy.  Deep yelloiv.  Scentless.  Pennsylvania  westward.  April.,  May. 

The  celandine  poppy  resembles  very  closely  the  smaller 
flowers  of  the  celandine.  It  is  not  so  tall,  and  its  generic  name, 
meaning  style-bearded,  expresses  another  difference  between  it 
and  the  celandine. 


CELANDINE. 

Chelidhiium  mdjus. 

FAMILY 

Poppy. 

COLOUR 

Yellow. 

ODOUR                         RANGE 
Scentless.                       General. 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Summer. 

Flowers  ;  small  ;  growing  in  loose  umbellate  clusters.  Calyx  :  of  two  sepals 
that  fall  early.  Corolla  :  of  four  spreading  petals.  Stamens  :  numerous.  Pis- 
til:  one  ;  stigma,  two-lobed.  Leaves  :  j^innately  divided  into  lobed  and  toothed 
segments;  hairy.     Stem:  erect;  branching  ;  hairy,    yuice  :  a.cnd]  poisonous. 

In  dry  soil,  especially  about  gardens,  we  find  the  bright 
flowers  of  this  plant.  It  has  come  to  us  from  Europe,  and  its 
juice  has  quite  a  reputation  for  curing  diseases  of  the  eyes,  also 
warts  and  jaundice. 

BUTTERFLY  PEA.     (F/afe  CXLIII) 

cut  aria  Mariana. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Lavender.  Scentless.  New  Jersey  south-  J^^y- 

ward  and  westward. 

Flowers  :  showy  ;  one  to  three  borne  on  a  short  peduncle.  Calyx :  tubular  ; 
five-cleft.  Corolla  :  papilionaceous  ;  the  banner  petal  much  larger  than  the 
others  ;  erect  and  notched  at  the  apex.  Stainejis  :  ten,  not  distinct ;  style, 
bearded.  Pods:  long;  appearing  late  in  the  season.  Leaves:  of  three  lanceo- 
late leaflets  on  separate  stalks  with  stipules  at  their  bases  ;  the  under  surface 
of  a  much  lighter  shade  of  green.     Stem  :    smooth  ;  twining. 

It  may  be  that  there  has  been  a  slight  disagreement  in  the 

household  of  the  butterfly  pea.     The  large  banner  petal  seems 

to  believe  in  gaiety  and  showing  itself  to  the  world,  while  the 


PLATE  CXLIII.     BUTTERFLY  PEA.     Clitoria  Mariana. 
{^77) 


278  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

other  parts  of  the  corolla  have  a  leaning  towards  piety  and 
staying  at  home.  So  each  faction  goes  its  separate  way.  The 
blossom,  in  consequence,  is  very  much  out  of  proportion.  We 
readily  forgive  it  this  fault,  however,  on  account  of  its  lovely 
colour  and  the  courage  each  one  of  its  parts  has  shown  in  re- 
maining true  to  its  convictions. 

JAMESTOWN=WEED.     THORN  APPLE. 

Datura  Stra^nbniuin. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Nightshade.  White  streaked  Unpleasant.  General  east  May-September, 

with  purple.  of  loiva. 

Flowers :  large  ;  growing  on  short  flower-stalks  in  the  forks  of  the  branched 
stems.  Calyx:  five-toothed.  Corolla:  three  inches  long;  tubular;  funneb 
form,  the  divisions  sharply  pointed.  Staviens  :  five.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves : 
large;  flaccid;  ovate;  and  deeply  toothed.  Stem:  two  to  five  feet  high; 
stout;  branching;  smooth;  greenish  purple. 

The  odour  of  this  plant  has  earned  for  it  among  the  country 
people  a  name  not  at  all  euphonious  and  which  is  not  repeated 
here  out  of  respect  to  our  fin  de  siecle  civilisation. 

JD.  Tatula  is  the  purplish-flowered  species  which  is  otherwise 
nearly  identical  with  the  above.  Its  range  is  rather  more 
extended  in  the  west  and  south.  Both  of  the  jimson  weeds,  as 
they  are  called,  have  been  introduced  into  this  country  from 
South  America  and  Europe  and  are  among  the  number  that  we 
would  prefer  to  have  had  remain  where  they  rightfully  belong. 
Outside  of  spreading  themselves  over  unsightly  piles  of  way- 
side garbage,  their  usefulness  as  a  stimulant  in  medicine  is  no^ 
so  great  but  that  it  could  be  readily  dispensed  with. 

They  are  besides  possessed  of  a  narcotic  poison,  especially 
the  purple  variety,  which  is  found  in  the  seeds.  Children 
have  been  badly  poisoned  by  sucking  the  flowers. 

COMMON  DODDER.     LOVE  VINE. 

Cusciita  Gronbvii. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Dodder. 

White. 

Scentless. 

New  England  south' 
ward. 

Late  summer  and 
autumn. 

Flowers:  small;  growing  in  clusters.      Calyx:  five-cleft.      Corolla:  tubular; 
five-lobed.     Stamens:    five.     Pistil:   one;   styles,  two.     Leaves:    none,    their 


PLATE  CXLIV.     COMMON  MILKWEED.     Asc/ep'as  Sy, 
(279) 


2So  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

place  taken  by  yellowish  bracts.     Stem  :  copper  yellow  ;  twisting  and  twining 
like  a  bunch  of  tangled  wire  ;  parasitic. 

We  may  well  inquire  into  the  ways  of  this  little  parasite, 
which,  although  its  victims  are  of  a  different  class,  is  quite  as 
uncanny  as  the  insectivorous  plants.  Its  coiled  seed  drops 
intc  the  ground,  germinates,  and  sends  up  a  yellow  stem,  which, 
when  it  has  hardly  reached  two  inches  high,  begins  to  stretch 
out  for  some  shrub  or  plant  about  which  to  entwine  itself. 
It  then  puts  out  suckers  which  penetrate  the  bark  and  drain 
the  already  assimilated  sap  of  the  plant.  The  original  ground 
stem  withers  and  falls  away.  The  dodder  is  therefore  left 
wholly  dependent  for  nourishment  upon  its  victim.  Its  persist- 
ent, close  growth  about  the  bark  of  a  shrub  mflicts  great  dam- 
age. 

The  tangled  gold  threads  are  interesting  when  we  come 
upon  them  ;  but  once  the  habits  of  the  plant  are  known  it 
cannot  but  inspire  us  with  a  feeling  of  repulsion. 

COnnON  MILKWEED.     SILKWEED.     (F/afe  CXL/K) 
Asclepias  Syriaca. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkweed.        Ptu-plish pink.        S:entless.        Mostly  northward.  June-August. 

Flower-chisters  :  often  four  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter.  Construction,  see 
A.  incarnata,  page  76.  Pods  .  two  only,  which  burst  open  and  let  fly  seeds 
with  beautiful,  silky  tufts.  Leaves  •  very  large ;  six  to  eight  inches  long ; 
opposite,  or  scattered  ;  oblong  ;  pubescent  underneath  ,  glabrous  on  the  upper 
surface.     Sic?u  :  tall ;  coarse  ;  with  a  milky  juice  ,  pubescent. 

One  of  the  greatest  charm.s  of  the  wild  flowers  is  that  they 
never  have  to  be  bought.  The  beggar  can  enjoy  the  world 
flushed  with  myriad,  evanescent  hues  that  blend  into  each  other 
like  the  delicate  splendour  of  a  bird's  plumage  quite  as  well  as 
can  a  monarch  on  his  throne.  The  only  requisite  is  to  have 
the  discriminating  eyes  that  see  :  see  as  do  the  artists. 

Barefooted  urchins  think^  undoubtedly^  that  the  common 
milkweed  blows  tor  them,  and  the  pompons  they  make  from  its 
seed  pods  for  their  torn  straw  hats  become  them  extremely 
well.     They  slumber  sweetly  upon  the   pillows  and  mattresses 


PLATE  CXLV.     BUTTERFLY-WEED.     Asclepias  tuberosa 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED  IN  AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING   IN   DRY  SOIL.  281 

that  are  stuffed  with  the  pappus  and  laugh  at  the  ''city  people  " 
for  calling  the  plant  "  rubber  tree."  It  blooms  in  the  dry  fields 
and  all  along  the  waysides  and  is  the  most  generally  known  of 
the  family. 

BUTTERFLY=WEED.     PLEURISY=ROOT.     {Plate  CXLV.) 
4sclepias  tiiberbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Milkweed.         Orange  red.  Scentless.         Mostly  northward.  Jtcne-Septeiiibe;  . 

Flowers:  regular;  gamopetalous  ;  growing  in  umbel-liice  dusters,  and  show- 
ing the  distinctive  features  of  the  milkweed  family,  see  A.  incarnata,  page  76. 
Pods :  two,  which  burst  open  and  let  fly  seeds  with  beautiful  silky  tufts. 
Leaves:  alternate;  lanceolate;  pubescent.  Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high;  erect ; 
branched  near  the  summit ;  hairy  and  containing  very  little  milky  juice. 

Perhaps  this  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  plants,  not  exclud- 
ing those  of  the  tropics,  of  our  country.  The  soft  air  of  mid- 
summer plays  upon  it  as  it  lightens  the  dry  fields,  and  the 
tuneful  harmony  is  one  of  blending  tints  of  orange  and  red.  It 
is  the  only  northern  one  of  the  genus  with  so  much  yellow 
mixed  in  its  colouring.  One  rarely  sees  it  without  a  gay  band 
of  butterflies  hovering  about,  and  it  is  very  possible  that  from 
this  fact  it  has  received  one  of  its  English  names. 

The  Indians  made  use  of  it  in  many  ways  ;  principally  by 
extracting  a  sugar-like  substance  from  the  flowers.  The  roots 
have  been  believed  to  be  a  cure  for  pleurisy.  The  plant  is  also 
called  wind-root  and  orange-root. 

WILD  CARROT.     QUEEN  ANNE'S  LACE. 
D  aliens  Carrot  a. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Parsley.  White.  Scentless.  General.  August.^  Septetnbtr. 

Flowers"    minute,  delicate;   growing   in    a   compound,  flat-topped   umbel, 
which   becomes  concave  after  flowering.     The  central  flower  of  the  umbel  is 
often  purple.     Invohicre :  light  green  ;  of  very  fine  pinnatifid  leaves.     Leaves 
fine  ;  much  divided.     Stem  :  erect ;  rough  ;  branched. 

We  may  have  no  qualms  of  conscience  on  the  grounds  of  in- 
hospitality  if  we  say  boldly  that  we  should  not  grieve  very  much 
to  have  this  weed  return  to  the  old  country  from  where  it  came. 


282  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

Its  ruthless  habit  of  taking  possession  of  whole  fields,  especially 
in  New  Jersey,  and  destroying  the  pasture  is  a  constant  care 
and  annoyance  to  the  farmer.  It  is  most  difficult  to  extirpate 
as  it  is  tough  and  hard  to  uproot. 

It  frequently  falls  within  the  experience  of  our  friend  the 
country  boy  to  pull  up  the  plants  before  they  have  gone  to 
seed  ;  and  one  instance  is  known  of  his  having  been  engaged 
to  perform  this  service  at  the  exorbitant  wage  of  twenty-five 
cents  a  hundred.  His  mind,  however,  is  poetical.  He  loves  to 
dream  of  the  beautiful  side  of  the  wild  carrot's  character,  and 
to  weave  romances  about  it  in  connection  with  Queen  Anne's 
lace.  To  bend  his  back  over  and  tear  his  palms  uprooting  them 
is  not  to  his  taste.  So  on  the  mentioned  occasion  he  sat  on  the 
fence  and  watched  other  boys  that  he  had  hired  at  five  cents  a 
hundred  do  the  work  for  him. 

GREAT  nULLEN.  VELVET  OR  MULLEN  DOCK. 

Verbdsciini   Thdpsus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.  Pale  yellow.  Scefttless.  General.  July-Septeinber. 

Flowers:  large  ;  growing  in  a  long,  terminal  s])ike.  Calyx:  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  wheel-shaped  with  five  unequal,  rounded  lobes.  Stamens:  ten;  three 
taller  than  the  others  with  woolly  filaments.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  alternate; 
the  basal  leaves  lying  flatly  in  a  circle  on  the  ground  ;  oblong  ;  pale  green  ;  vel- 
vety to  the  touch.     Stei?i :  erect ;  flat. 

Although  in  Europe  the  mullen  is  called  "  American  velvet 
plant,"  we  can  hardly  claim  it  as  indigenous  to  our  country. 
In  fact,  as  its  specific  name  implies,  it  is  a  native  of  the  island 
of  Thapsus.  It  has  visited  many  lands,  and  had  quite  a  broad 
experience  in  usefulness.  The  Greeks  made  lamp  wicks  of  the 
leaves,  and  the  Romans,  after  preparing  the  dried  stalks  in  suet, 
burned  them  as  funeral  torches,  when  they  were  called  "  can- 
dalaria."  The  efficacy  of  mullen  tea  for  pulmonary  diseases  is 
still  lauded  by  the  country  people,  especially  when  used  for 
beasts.  It  has  also  its  place  among  the  vanities  of  vanities,  and 
the  village  belle  knows  well  that  the  velvety  leaf  rubbed  against 
her  cheeks  will  leave  a  tint  like  that  of  a  ripened  peach. 


PLATE  CXLVI.     MOTH-MULLEN.      Verbasciim  Blaitaria. 
(2S3) 


284  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

The  plant  first  blooms  in  the  second  year  of  its  growth,  and 
then  the  blossoms  last  but  a  single  day.  It  is  credited  with 
having  forty  common  English  names. 

MOTH=MULLEN.     {Plate  CXLVI.) 
Vci-bdsciim  Blattaria. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figivort.        Yelloiv   'luhite^  or  pinkish.         Scentless.  General.  Jtily-September. 

Flowers :  slightly  nodding  ;  growing  on  pedicels  along  the  stem.  Calyx  :  of 
five  sepals.  Corolla  :  with  five  rounded,  delicately  veined  lobes.  Stameiis  :  five  ; 
the  filaments  dark  coloured  and  covered  with  a  purplish  wool.  Pistil:  one. 
Leaves :  those  above,  alternate  ;  ovate  ;  sessile  ;  toothed  ;  those  below  on  peti- 
oles and  deeply  cut ;  smooth.     Sle;n  :  erect  ;  slender. 

There  is  little  about  this  plant  either  in  texture  or  appearance 
to  suggest  its  kinship  with  the  common  mullen.  It  is  quite 
a  pretendant  to  the  claims  of  beauty,  and  when  the  different 
coloured  varieties  are  found  growing  together  in  some  dry,  up- 
land meadow  they  are  very  pretty  and  fairy-like.  Unfortu- 
nately they  perish  quickly  after  being  picked.  As  the  specific 
name  suggests,  the  cockroach  and  this  plant  can  never  agree. 
In  fact  that  despised  tribe  are  said  to  hold  it  in  especial  abhor- 
rence. 

SLENDER  LADY'S  TRESSES. 

Gyrdstachys  gracilis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Orchis.  Unite.  Fragrant.  New  England  to  Florida  July-October. 

and  west-ward. 

Flowers:  very  small  ;  growing  on  one  side  of  a  slender,  twisted  spike.  Co- 
rolla: hardly  a  quarter  of  an  inch  broad  ;  the  lip  spreading  and  crimped.  Leaves  : 
ovate  ;  withering  early  in  the  season.  Stan  :  erect  ;  leafy  below  and  having 
bracts  above. 

Surely  the  ladies  have  been  sleeping  that  long  ago  they  did 
not  resent  the  changing  of  this  plant's  English  name  from  lady's 
traces,  which  the  braided  appearance  of  the  stem  somewhat 
suggests,  to  lady's  tresses.  There  is  nothing  about  the  prim 
little  blossoms  to  recall  the  flowing  locks  that  are  woman's 
crowning  glory. 

It  may  be  found  in  dry  ground,  on  the  side  of  hills,  in  sandy 
places  and  open  fields. 


PLATE  CXLVII.     STRIPED  GENTIAN.     Centiaiia  villosa. 


286  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

G.  cer?iua  is  perhaps  the  commonest  little  orchis  that  we 
have.  The  stem  is  more  twisted  and  flowered  than  that  of  G. 
gracilis  and  the  low  stem  leaves  are  almost  linear.  The  spiral 
growth  of  the  flowers  about  the  stem  is  very  pretty,  and  the 
blossoms  are  fragrant.  It  seldom  grows  over  eight  inches  tall 
and  blossoms  in  September  and  October.  In  low  grounds 
throughout  the  east  and  south  it  is  most  common. 

BLUE  WAX=WEED.     CLAMMY  CUPHEA. 

Par  sons  ia  petiolaia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Loosestrife.  Purplish  pink.         Scentless.         Conn,  to  Illinois  July-October. 

and  south-ward. 

Flowers :  small  ;  growing  in  loose  racemes  along  the  branches.  Calyx :  tu- 
bular; six-toothed,  extending  into  a  spur  on  the  upper  side;  purplish;  sticky. 
Corolla  :  of  six  unequal  ovate  petals,  having  short  claws.  Stametis  :  about 
twelve  ;  irregular ;  in  two  sets.  Pistil  :  one  ;  stigma,  two-lobed.  Leaves  :  op- 
posite ;  lanceolate  ;  disagreeable  to  the  touch.  Sle?n  :  branching ;  reddish  ; 
clammy. 

In  the  autumn,  when  we  wander  through  the  pastures  or  by 
the  roadsides,  it  is  the  turn  of  this  flower  to  claim  our  atten- 
tion. The  petals  have  a  wrinkled  look,  and  the  pods,  from  the 
position  of  the  seed-bearing  part  of  the  ovary,  appear  to  have  a 
little  handle.  These  points,  and  remembering  that  it  is  a  loose- 
strife, serve  readily  to  identify  the  plant. 

STRIPED  GENTIAN.      {P/ale  CXLFII.) 

GeJitichia  villbsa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Gentian.     Greenish  ivhite,  striped    Scentless.         Southern  New      Septe7i!ber-Novei>iber. 
inside  ^vith  purple.  Jersey  to  Florida. 

Flowers :  solitary,  or  clustered;  sessile;  axillary  along  the  stem  and  terminal. 
Calyx  :  of  unequal  linear  lobes.  Corolla:  short  ;  funnel-form.  Leaves :  oppo- 
site ;  obovate  ;  long  ;  narrowed  at  the  base.     Stetn  :  six  to  eighteen  inches  high. 

These  tender  blossoms,  with  their  silky  stripes,  are  as  deli- 
cate and  misty  in  colouring  as  many  graceful  cups  of  Venetian 
glass.  They  grow  in  dry,  shady  places,  and  although  they  en- 
tertain royally  their  insect  friends,  they  are  shy  of  welcoming 
more  mundane  mortals.  Those  that  are  fortunate  enough  to 
find  them  appreciate  them  as  a  rare  floral  treasure. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  287 

DANDELION. 

Tardxacimi    Taraxacum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Chicory.  Yellow.  Scentless.  General  to  the  Rockies.  April-October. 

Flower-heads :  roundish,  of  innumerable  strap-shaped  flowers.  Involucre  : 
closing  after  blooming  until  the  fluffy  ball  is  ready  to  mature  and  be  blown 
away  by  the  wind,  when  it  opens,  turns  downward,  and  bears  up  the  pappus. 
Leaves :  at  the  base  ;  much  cut.     Stem  :  hollow.    Juice :  milky. 

There  seems  to  be  something  pathetic  about  the  dandelion 
as  it  grows  old.  Gradually  it  is  deprived  of  its  golden  rays 
and  upon  its  stalk  is  left  a  little  cloud  of  gossamer.  It  is  then 
whorled  aloft  and  away,  torn  and  scattered  upon  thorny  bushes 
and  dashed  into  angry  streams  by  pitiless  winds.  Or  the  chil- 
dren blow  it  to  tell  what  o'clock  it  is.  There  are  usually  four 
good  blows  in  a  ball  of  down  and  this  fact  has  won  for  it  the 
name  of  "  four  o'clock,"  each  blow  signifying  an  hour.  The 
plants  are  eaten  as  a  pot  herb,  and  their  medicinal  properties 
are  generally  known  and  appreciated. 

FALL  DANDELION. 

Leontodon  autiii}i7iale. 
Or  little  dandelion,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  extends  its 
bloom  throughout  the  summer  and  autumn.  On  a  nearer 
acquaintance  we  find  it  has  rather  different  habits  from  our 
early  dandelion  but  is  very  much  like  the  hawkweeds.  Its 
Greek  name  refers  to  the  medicinal  properties  of  the  root. 

PLANTAIN=LEAF  EVERLASTING.     flOUSE^EAR 
EVERLASTING. 

AntetiJiarta  plant agiiiifbUa. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  White.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  March-May. 

Flower-heads :  of  tiny  tubular  flowers  clustered  closely  together  in  a  corymb; 
sterile  and  fertile  flowers  growing  on  different  plants.  Leaves:  those  of  the 
stem,  lanceolate;  pointed;  soft;  silky  underneath  ;  those  of  the  base,  oval;  on 
petioles  ;  nerved.  Stem  :  sometimes  approaching  one  foot  high  ;  covered  with 
a  soft  down.     The  plant  spreads  by  runners. 

In  rocky  fields  and  on  dry  slopes  we  find  this  everlasting. 


288  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

The  difference  between  the  staminate  and  pistillate  blossoms, 
which  grow  on  separate  plants  and  usually  near  together,  is 
that  the  staminate  ones  are  more  highly  coloured  and  appear 
somewhat  dotted.  The  pistillate  ones  are  smooth  and  downy. 
A.  neodtoica,  smaller  cat's-foot,  is  often  found  growing  side  by 
side  with  the  above  species.  It  is  a  woolly  plant  and  bears 
many  leaves. 

GOLDEN  RAGWORT.      SQUAW=WEED. 

Sefiecw  aureus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Yelloiv.  Scentless.  General.  M ay  ^  June. 

Flower-heads :  small  ;  growing  in  umbel-like,  leafless  clusters  and  composed 
of  both  ray  and  disk  flowers.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  the  lower  ones  mostly  heart- 
shaped,  with  long  petioles,  upper  leaves  lanceolate  ;  deeply  cut ;  sessile  as  they 
ascend  the  stem.  Sle??i :  erect;  simple;  smooth;  cottony  when  young.  The 
pappus  of  silky  white  down. 

The  ragwort,  which  is  one  of  our  native  w^eeds,  illuminates 
our  meadows  with  the  same  tints  of  golden  yellow  that  we 
sometimes  trace  in  the  amber  light  from  a  sunset.  It  is  also 
sadly  true  that  it  is  responsible  for  an  immense  amount  of  hay 
fever. 

The  generic  name  senecio  is  from  senex,  an  old  man,  and 
refers  to  the  silky,  white  hairs  of  the  pappus.  Although  the 
plant  is  in  general  appearance  somewhat  like  an  aster,  the 
leaves  are  quite'  Individual  and  very  variable  in  the  different 
species. 

TICK=SEED.     (F/ate  CXLV/II.) 
Coreopsis  lanceoldta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Yelloiv.  Scentless.  Mostly  south  and  ivest.  May-August. 

Flower-heads :  few,  or  solitary  on  long  slender  peduncles  ;  ray-flowers,  six 
to  ten,  toothed  at  the  apex;  disk-flowers,  perfect.  Involucre:  two  inches 
broad,  depressed,  with  lanceolate  bracts.  Leaves :  lanceolate  ;  entire  ;  almost 
sessile.     Stem  :  high  ;  slender  ;   glabrous. 

So  brilliant  and  effective  is  this  flower  that  it  has  been  ex- 
tensively cultivated  in  gardens.  The  involucre  is  responsible 
for  its  appearing  somewhat  deceptive  to  the  non-botanist.     It 


PLai  t   LALViii.     TiCk-SEED.      Coreopsis  lanceolata. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED  IN  AMERICA. 


PLATE  CXLIX.     ROBIN'S  PLANTAIN.     Erigeron pulchellns, 
(289) 


290  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

is  rather  a  fickle-minded  plant  and  grows  equally  well  in  dry 
or  moist  soil,  sometimes  even  venturing  upon  the  roadsides. 
Wherever  we  find  it,  however,  it  is  always  welcome. 

C.  rosea  is  the  rose-coloured  tick-seed  that  is  sometimes 
found  in  sandy  swamps.  It  grows  from  six  inches  to  two  feet 
high,  and  it  is  very  pretty. 

ROBIN'S  OR  POOR  ROBIN'S  PLANTAIN.   {Plate  CXLIX.) 

Erigeroti  pulchelliis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Light  violet.  Scentless.  General.  May.,  June. 

Flower-heads :  round,  growing  in  small  clusters  and  composed  of  both  ray 
and  disk  flowers  ;  the  former  being  very  numerous.  Leaves  :  few  on  the  stem  ; 
lanceolate  ;  the  basal  leaves  broader  and  clinging  closely  to  the  ground.  Stem  : 
about  one  foot  high  ;  thick,  juicy  ;  hairy. 

What  strange  idea  filled  the  pretty  head  of  robin's  plantain 
when  it  decked  itself  out  to  look  so  much  like  an  aster  we  do  not 
know  ;  but  its  deception  is  very  transparent  and  we  readily 
discover  that  it  is  not  one  of  the  aster  family.  There  is  a  hairy 
look  about  the  stem  and  flower  which  is  quite  unlike  an  aster, 
and  another  distinctive  feature  is  the  way  in  which  its  lower 
leaves  lie  flat  about  the  ground. 

Perhaps  by  its  advent  so  early  in  the  season  it  simply  wishes 
to  proclaim  the  coming  of  the  true  asters  and  the  members  of 
the  great  family  of  composites. 

LARGER  DAISY  FLEABANE.     SWEET  SCABIOUS. 

Erigeron  dnnuus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  White  or  purplish.  Scentless.  General.  June. 

Flower-heads:  small,  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch  broad;  clustered  and 
composed  of  both  ray  and  disk  flowers.  Leaves  :  lanceolate  ;  the  lower  ones 
serrated.     Stem  :  three  to  five  feet  high  ;  branched  ;  hairy. 

We  all  know  the  fleabanes,  or  little  daisies,  that  spring  up  in 
the  meadows  and  along  the  roadsides  in  summer  and  which 
look  so  pretty  in  the  bunch  of  purple  asters  and  golden  rods 
that  we  carry  home  as  an  effective  decoration  for  some  se- 
cluded corner. 


\    f 


,  .^^  (WHITE  DAISY.      Chrysanthe^nuni  LcucanlJieDimn. 

l^LATE  CL.      X 

(BULBOUS  BUTTERCUP.     Ranunculus  bulbosiis. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED    IN    AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  291 

Country  people  tell  us  that  when  burned  they  are  obnoxious 
to  insect  life,  and  we  frequently  see  dried  bunches  of  them 
hanging  over  their  cottage  doors  to  caution  such  intruders 
against  entering  the  portal. 

E.  ramosus^  or  smaller  daisy  fleabane,  has  longer  ray  flowers 
than  those  of  the  above  species, and  entire  leaves.  The  general 
effect  of  the  plant,  however,  is  smaller  and  more  delicate. 

WHITE  DAISY.     WHITE  WEED.     OX=EYED  DAISY. 

{Plate  CL.) 
Chrysdnthefnum  Lencdnthemu7n. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE         TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Cotnposite,         Wkiie,  with  yello2u  centre.         Scentless.         Mostly  north.  June. 

Flower-heads :  terminal ;  solitary  and  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk  flowers. 
Ray  flowers  white,  those  of  the  disk  yellow.  Leaves  :  the  lower  ones  spatulate, 
the  upper  ones  partly  clasping  ;  netted-veined  ;  cut,  or  toothed. 

The  "  eye  of  day,"  as  Chaucer  says  men  rightly  call  the  daisy, 
although  one  of  our  commonest  flowers,  is  not  a  native  of  this 
country  ;  but  was  probably  brought  here  by  the  early  colonists. 
It  has  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  poets  and  lovers  of  nature.  The 
farmer  alone  will  have  none  of  it.  He  scornfully  calls  it  white 
weed,  not  even  deigning  to  give  it  its  more  poetical  name. 

The  English  daisy  that  Burns  sang  about,  Bellis  perennis,  is 

smaller  than  this   species,  and   pink.     It   seems   rather  a   pity 

that  in  celebrating  it  Burns  should  have  closed  the  poem  with 

his  own  lament. 

*'  Ev'n  thou  who  mourn'st  the  daisy's  fate, 
That  fate  is  thine — no  distant  date  ; 
Stern  Ruin's  ploughshare  drives,  elate 

Full  on  thy  bloom, 
Till  crush'd  beneath  the  furrow's  weight. 

Shall  be  thy  doom  !  " 

RATTLESNAKEWEED.     HAWKWEED. 

Hieraczuni  vejidsitm. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Chicory.  Vellozv.  Scentless.  Mostly  north.  July,  August. 

Flower-heads :  growing  singly  on  the  ends  of  branched  flower-stalks  or  scapes, 
and  composed  of  strap-shaped  flowers.     Leaves:  from  the  base;  obovate  and 


292  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 

spreading  around  on  the  ground  like  a  rosette  ;  veined  conspicuously  with 
purple.  Flozver- stalk  :  one  to  two  inches  high  ;  naked,  or  bearing  one  leaf  ; 
slender  or  forked  above. 

The  prevailing  idea  that  the  leaves  of  the  hawkweed  re- 
semble the  rattlesnake,  serve  better  to  identify  it  from  its 
numerous  relatives,  than  which  it  is  by  far  more  interesting, 
than  to  recall  to  mind  the  dreadful  creature  for  which  it  is 
named,  or  to  remove  the  venom  of  his  bite. 

The  plant  grows  in  dry  soil,  sometimes  by  the  waysides,  in 
the  meadows,  or  in  the  open  woods. 

If.  Greenii,  Green's  hawkweed,  has  spatulate,  tufted,  basal 
leaves  which  narrow  into  a  petiole.  It  is  found  in  the  dry  soil 
of  the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  West  Virginia. 

FIELD  SOW  THISTLE. 

Sonchus  arvensis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Chicory.  Bright  yellow.        Scentless.         Occasional  in  the  eastern  Summer. 

and  middle  states^ 

Flower-heads :  large  ;  showy  ;  clustered  closely  together  and  bursting  out 
later  into  a  soft,  downy  pappus.  Ijjvoliicre  :  of  numerous  strap-like  scales. 
Leaves :  long,  pointed,  blade-like  ;  clasping  by  a  heart-shaped  base  ;  saw-toothed. 
Stem  :    one  to  three  feet  high  ;  branched  ;  hollow  ;  bristly. 

In  dry  fields  and  along  roadsides  ;  in  salt  meadows  and  by 
streams  we  find  this  showy,  coarse  weed.  It  has  come  to  us 
from  Europe  and  is  also  a  native  of  Asia.  Every  year  it  ex- 
tends its  range  and  becomes  more  common.  The  flower  opens 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  begins  to  close  at  about  eleven 
o'clock  and  by  noon  it  has  enti'rely  shut  out  the  world. 

BLACK=EVED  SUSAN.     CONE=FLOWER.     (P/afe  CLI.) 

Rudbeckia  hirta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.        Deep  yellow.,  purple  centre.         Scentless.         General.  Midsutnmer. 

Flower-heads  :  large ;  terminal ;  ^jolitary  and  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk 
flowers  ;  the  former  often  one  and  three  quarter  inches  long,  the  latter  arranged 
in  the  form  of  a  cone  and  chocolate  brown  in  colour.  Leaves:  lanceolate; 
narrow  ;  rough  and  disagreeable  to  the  touch  ;  the  lower  ones  on  petioles, 
the  upper  ones  sessile.     Stem  :  one  to  two  feet  high;  rough  ;  usually  branching. 


%.  m  ^ 


^^ 


♦  l 


PLATE  CLl.     BLACK-EYED  SUSAN.     Rudbeckia. 

COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  293 

Black-eyed  Susan,  or  Susie,  as  her  playmates  call  her,  is  a 
beautiful  wild  country  girl  with  a  striking  brunette  face,  and  a 
gown  of  yellow  and  black,  which  fairly  makes  the  meadows 
dance  with  life  and  gaiety.  Perhaps  she  lacks  that  wealth  of 
charm  which  cultivation  gives,  and  is  rather  careless  in  choos- 
ing her  companions.  No  doubt  she  is  governed  entirely  by  her 
love  of  fun.  Her  manner  of  growth  is  certainly  ungraceful  and 
her  leaves  and  stem  are  rough  and  uncouth. 

She  is  perfectly  at  home  in  the  east,  although  she  first  came 
to  us  hidden  in  clover  seeds  from  the  west ;  where  she  is  called 
by  the  unpoetical  name  of  "nigger-head." 

The  southern  rudbeckia  is  a  more  gorgeous  flower,  the  cone 
of  disk-flowers  being  much  higher  and  the  leaves  broader  than 
those  of  the  above  species. 

R.Brittojiii^  Britton's  cone-flower,  has  flower-heads  that  are 
from  two  to  three  inches  broad.  Its  rays  are  two-lobed  and 
about  twelve  in  number.  They  are  tipped  with  purple.  The 
stem  leaves  are  nearly  oval  and  often  occur  with  a  lateral  lobe. 
In  the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Tennessee  and 
in  the  woods  it  blooms  abundantly  from  May  until  July. 

The  plant  is  stout  and  vigourous  and  it  bears,  as  will  be 
noticed,  the  name  of  Dr.  Britton,  who  has  expended  so  much 
time  and  affection  upon  the  floral  world. 


GOLDEN=ROD.     DYER'5  WEED. 

Solidago  nemoralis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Veiioiu.  Scentless.        New  England sotithiuard  Atigust. 

and  westward. 

Perhaps  this  is  the  most  common  of  all  the  golden-rods  that 
abound  in  dry  fields.  The  flowers  grow  in  a  dense  plume,  or 
compound  panicle,  along  the  upper  side  of  the  stem  ;  and  the 
few  tapering  leaves  are  of  a  dull  greyish  green.  It  seldom 
grows  over  two  feet  high.     The  simple  stem  has  a  cottony  look. 

S.  Canadensis.,  Canada  golden-rod,  is  a  tall  species  with  spread- 


294 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL. 


ing  racemes  of  flowers.  The  leaves  are  lanceolate  and  very 
rough  on  the  upper  side. 

S,  mollis^  or  velvety  golden-rod,  is  distinguishable  by  the 
soft  fleecy  fuzz  with  which  it  is  covered.  It  grows  in  dry 
plains  from  Minnesota  southward  and  westward. 

S.juncea,  Plate  LXIX. 

BLAZING  STAR. 

Lacmdri'a    scaribsa. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

'^omposite. 

Rose  purple. 

Scentless. 

Maine  to  Florida  and 
■westward. 

Early  autumn. 

Flower-heads  :  round  ;  growing  in  a  long,  wand-like  raceme  ;  and  composed 
of  tubular  flowers  with  long  slender  lobes.  Scales  of  the  involucre,  long  and 
bristly,  purple  tipped.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  lanceolate  ;  pointed.  Stem:  erect  ; 
leafy ;  rather  downy. 

Why  these  beautiful  flowers,  which  are  clustered  thickly  or 
loosely  together,  as  the  case  may  be,  were  ever  named  blazing 
star  it  would  trouble  the  wisest  of  us  to  explain.  Their  particu- 
lar charm  lies  in  their  warm  rich  colouring. 

Z.  squarrhsa,  or  scaly  blazing  star,  is  a  beautiful  variety  with 
larger,  fewer  flov/er-heads  of  rose  purple.  It  blooms  in  the  late 
summer  and  autumn  and  mostly  southward  and  westward  from 
Pennsylvania.  Another  name  for  it  is  rattlesnake-master  ;  the 
bites  of  which  snakes  it  has  been  supposed  to  be  efficacious  in 
curing. 

BURR  THISTLE.     SPEAR  THISTLE. 

Cardnus  laticeolatus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Cojnposite.        Purplish  crimson.         Scentless.         North  and  east.  July-November. 

Flower-heads:  large;  solitary;  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  prickly  involucre.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  sessile,  much  cut  and  beset 
with  red  prickles.     Stem  :    leafy  ;  rough. 

"  Nemo  me  impune  lacessit." 

Truly  the  farmer's  life  is  no  merry  jest  ;  for  when  he  attempts 
to  lean  back  in  his  easy  chair,  and  flatter  himself  that  he  has 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  DRY  SOIL.  295 

grappled  successfully  with  the  troublesome  weeds  of  the  sea- 
son, along  comes  the  thistle  and  rears  itself  in  his  pastures.  Its 
sharp  red  prickles  are  rather  inconvenient  to  those  of  artistic 
temperament  who  wish  to  show  it  any  demonstration  of  affec- 
tion ;  but  the  bumble-bees  love  it  dearly  and  enjoy  sweet  con- 
verse with  it  unharmed. 

C.  a?'vensis,  or  Canada  thistle,  is  the  common  species  along 
the  roadsides  and  in  fields.  It  is  readily  known  by  its  numerous 
small  flower-heads  and  although  pretty  it  is  a  most  pernicious 
weed. 


Plants  Growing  in  Waste  Soil :    Roadside 
Banks  and  Lanes. 


What  charm  has  the  road  when  beside  it  we  wander 

And  gaze  at  its  banks  gaily  clothed, 
Where  dwell  the  proud  asters,  the  legion  of  sparroivs 

A  nd  myriads  of  rods  waving  gold. 
There  the  little  birds  sing  and  the  merry  bees  Jiiim, 

A  naughty  snake  glides  slowly  by. 
In  waves  clear  or  misty  Jiang  sunshine  and  shadow, 

While  above  is  the  deep,  blue  sky. 


WINTER  CRESS.  YELLOW  ROCKET. 

Barbarea  Barbarea. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.  Yelloiv.  Scentless.  General.  April-September. 

Flowers  :  small ;  growing  in  racemes.  Calyx  :  of  four  sepals  that  fall  early. 
Corolla  :  of  four  cruciferous  petals.  Slainens  :  six,  two  of  which  are  shorter 
than  the  others.  Pistil :  one.  Fads:  linear,  branch-like.  Leaves:  those  at 
the  base,  ,lyre-shaped  ;  those  of  the  stem,  ovate;  pinnately-divided  ;  incised. 
Stem  :  erect ;  smooth. 

The  leaves  of  the  herb  of  St.  Barbara,  as  this  little  plant  is 
also  called,  are  used  as  a  salad  by  many  country  people.  One 
must  have,  however,  the  taste  engendered  by  being  brought 
up  on  the  soil  to  truly  appreciate  them  as  a  delicacy. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  297 

SHEPHERD'S=PURSE. 

Bursa  Bursa-pastbris. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard.  Wliite.  Scentlesi,.  General.  ^[prll-September. 

Florae  r  s :  small;  clustered  in  a  long  raceme.  Calyx:  of  four  sepals  that 
fall  early.  Corolla:  of  four  cruciferous  petals.  Stavietts :  six,  two  of  which 
are  shorter  than  the  others.  Pistil:  one.  Pods:  triangular;  notched  at  the 
apex;  two-valved.  Leaves:  those  of  the  base,  clustered,  incised;  those  of 
the  stem,  arrow-shaped,  partly  clasping.     Stem  :  branching. 

These  insignificant  little  flowers  crop  out  with  much  per- 
sistency along  the  wayside.  Their  generic  name  is  derived 
from  the  pouch-like  shape  of  their  seed-pods.  The  plants  are 
widely  distributed  all  over  the  globe, 

BLACK  MUSTARD. 


Brass  I  ca  nigra. 

FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mustard. 

Yellow. 

Pungent. 

General. 

All  summer. 

Flowers:  small;  clustered  in  racemes.  Pods:  half  an  inch  long,  the  seeds 
dark,  spicy  to  the  taste.     Stetn  :  three  to  six  feet  high ;  branched. 

It  is  from  the  seeds  of  the  black  and  white  mustards  that  the 
well-known  condiment  is  made.  For  this  purpose  the  plants  are 
extensively  cultivated  in  Europe,  and  are  sown  as  forage  for 
cattle,  when  they  are  cut  down  and  fed  to  them  before  the  seeds 
are  ripe.  With  us  they  flourish  along  the  roadsides  and  are 
rather  troublesome  weeds  in  some  parts  of  the  country. 

Sinapis  alba,  or  white  mustard,  has  single  seeds  ;  the  long 
hairy  pods  are  beaked. 

VENUS'S  LOOKING-GLASS. 

Speciilaria  perfolidta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Campanula.  Purplish  blue.  Scentless.  General.  May-September. 

Flowers :  growing  with  the  leaves  along  the  stem.  Calyx :  three  to  five- 
lobed.  Corolla:  wheel-shaped,  with  five  almost  linear  lobes.  Stamens:  five. 
Pistil  :  one;  stigmas,  three.  Pods:  triangular.  Leaves:  oblong  with  heart- 
shaped  bases  ;  clasping.     Stem  :  hairy. 

This  fancifully  named  little  plant  is  one  that  bears  cleistoga- 


298  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

mous  flowers.  It  does  not,  however,  hide  them  at  its  base  as 
though  ashamed  for  them  to  be  seen.  The  leaves  clasp  the 
stem  tightly  and  look  like  little  shells  in  which  lie  three  closed 
buds.  They  never  open  and  are  very  fruitful.  It  seems  as 
though  the  plant  held  them  in  the  hollow  of  its  hand.  It  is 
only  the  fortunate  ones  that  reach  the  top  of  the  stem  that 
unfold   the  dainty  blossom. 

S.  biflora  is  the  small  Venus's  looking-glass.  It  grows  from 
Virginia  southward  and  westward,  and  blooms  from  April 
until  July. 

GREEN=BRIER.     CATBRIER.     H0RSE=BR1ER. 

Sinilax  rottindifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Smilax.       Greenish  white.        Scentless.      New  England  to  Florida.  April-June. 

Flowers  :  small ;  imperfect ;  growing  in  umbels.  Perianth  :  of  six  divisions. 
Staminate  blossoms  with  six  stamens  ;  pistillate  ones  with  three  diverging 
stigmas  and  a  three-celled  ovary.  Leaves:  alternate;  on  petioles,  roundish ; 
pointed.     Stem:  four-angled  ;  prickly. 

The  catbrier  is  a  very  near  relative  of  S.  herbacea,  page  100, 
with  infinitely  better  manners,  as  it  does  not  taint  the  lovely 
spring  days  with  a  disagreeable  odour.  Its  sharp  prickles, 
however,  are  very  vicious  and  by  far  too  much  in  sympathy 
with  barbed-wire  fences  to  allow  of  the  plant  ever  being  a  great 
favourite.  Its  dark  berries  and  many-tinted  leaves  are  most 
beautiful  in  the  autumn. 

BITTER  SWEET.     WAX-WORK. 

Celdstrus  scdndens. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Staff-tree.  Cream  white.  Scentless.  General.  June. 

Flaivers  :  'S'C^2\\',  imperfect ;  growing  in  raceme-like  clusters.  Petals,  sepals, 
and  sta?nens :  five.  Pistil :  one.  Fruit :  orange-red  ;  of  three  rounded 
divisions  that  burst  open  and  display  the  seeds  within.  Leaves  :  alternate  ; 
oblong  ;  thin  ;  toothed  ;  smooth.     A  shrub,  twining  ;  woody. 

In    common    with    cat-tails  ;  the  silk}^  pompons    made    from 

milkweed  pods  and  numerous  sedges  ;  the  exquisite  berries  of 

the   bitter  sweet  have  appealed   loudly  to   the  decorative   in- 


PLATE  CLI!.     PURPLE  FLOWERING    RASPBERRY.     Rubus  odoratus. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899.    BY   FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPAMY 
PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  299 

stincts  of  housewives.  How  clearly  they  recall  to  mind  the 
squareness  and  regularity  of  some  country  parlour  ;  and  how 
strikingly  giddy  they  appear  in  contrast  to  the  sombreness  of 
their  surroundings,  as  they  droop  over  the  crayon  of  some 
cherished  relative  that  hangs  on  the  wall.  We  prefer  to  see 
them  clambering  over  the  stone  walls  and  mingling  in  the 
thickets  along  the  roadsides,  where  they  are  perhaps  more 
generally  admired  than  any  other  of  our  late  season  berries. 

PURPLE=FLOWERINQ  RASPBERRY.     {Plate  CLII.) 

Riibus  odor  at  us. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Rose.  Purplish  pink.         Fragrant.         NeiM  England  southivard  June^July. 

to  Ga.  westward  to  Mich. 

Flaivers :  large;  two  inches  broad;  terminal;  clustered.  Calyx:  of  five 
long,  slender  lobes  tipped  with  a  fine  point ;  hairy  ;  sticky.  Corolla :  of  five 
rosaceous  petals.  Stamens  :  numerous.  Pistils  :  numerous.  Fruit :  similar 
to  a  raspberry,  edible.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  palmately  three  to  five  lobed,  the 
middle  lobe  longer  than  the  others  ;  netted-veined  ;  serrated.  Stein  :  shrubby 
branching  ;  clammy. 

Hardly  any  description  is  needed  of  the  purple-flowering 
raspberry  as  it  is  portrayed  so  clearly  and  beautifully  by  the 
coloured  plate.  We  can  all  see  that  there  is  nothing  plebeian 
or  coarse  about  the  plant.  Its  moral  tone  is  evidently  of  the 
very  highest.  The  leaves  grow  to  a  great  size,  and  when  folded 
together  make  excellent  drinking  cups,  which  often  enable  the 
weary  traveller  to  quench  his  thirst  by  some  near-by  stream. 
As  we  all  know,  the  berries  are  delightful. 

The  little  group  of  bees  on  the  plate  remind  us  that  Mr. 
Burroughs  says  the  fact  at  the  bottom  of  the  common  state- 
ment that  bees  have  their  own  likes  and  dislikes  for  certain 
people,  is  simply  that  they  will  "  sting  a  person  who  is  afraid  of 
them  and  goes  skulking  and  dodging  about,  and  they  will  not 
sting  a  person  who  faces  them  boldly  and  has  no  dread  of 
them." 

P.  strigbsus  and  P.  occidetitalis  are  the  red  and  black  wild 
raspberries  from  which  many  of  the  cultivated  varieties  have 
been  produced. 


300  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

SPREADING  DOGBANE.     {Plate  CLIII.) 

Apocyn iim  aiidrosc£7nifbliiun . 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Dogbane.  Rose  colour.  Fragrant.  Mostly  norihivard.  June.,  July. 

Flo'cvers  :  in  terminal  cymes  ;  growing  on  thread-like  flower-stalks.  C(7/yx  : 
five-cleft.  Corolla:  bell-shaped;  five-lobed,  and  veined  with  a  deeper  pink. 
Stamens  :  five.  Ovaries :  united  by  an  ovate  stigma.  Pods  :  large  ;  long  ;  slender. 
Leaves  :  opposite  ;  ovate.  An  herb  two  to  eight  feet  high  ;  forked  ;  branching. 
Juice:  milk  white  ;  sticky. 

Truly  it  is  the  poets  and  botanists  who  are  mostly  alive  to 
the  loveliness  of  the  wildings  of  nature  ;  and  we  ever  find  them 
singing  their  praises  to  the  exclusion  of  their  more  pretentious 
sisters  that  are  under  the  gardener's  care. 

The  tiny  blossoms  of  the  spreading  dogbane  remind  us  of 
the  bells  of  the  lily-of-the-valley  ;  but  they  have  a  delicate 
rose  tint,  and  are  exquisitely  veined  with  a  deeper  colour. 
This  is  probably  to  let  the  bee  know  of  their  five  glands  of 
sweet  nectar. 

The  plant  was  formerly  thought  to  be  poisonous  to  dogs. 

VIRGINIA  CREEPER.     AMERICAN  IVY. 

Partheridcissus  qui7iquefblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Vine.  WJiite.  Scentless.  General.  J^ly. 

Flotvers  :  small  ;  clustered  in  a  cyme.  Frziif  :  small  black,  or  blue  berries. 
Leaves :  divided  into  five  lance-oblong  leaflets.  A  vine  climbing  by  means  of 
tendrils  and  rootlets. 

It  is  quite  distressing  to  think  how  often  this  most  beautiful 
of  our  climbers  is  shunned  and  looked  upon  with  distrust  by 
the  non-botanists  simply  because  the  difference  between  it  and 
poison  ivy  is  not  known.  That  it  has  five  leaflets  and  bluish 
berries  should  be  remembered  as  a  means  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  three  leaflets  and  whitish  fruit  of  the  harmful  vine. 

It  accommodates  itself  readily  to  almost  every  kind  of  soil, 
and  has  been  extensively  cultivated  in  Europe  and  in  this  coun- 
try for  garden  decoration.  In  the  autumn  the  leaves  turn  a 
brilliant  crimson. 


PLATE  CLIIl.    SPREADING  DOGBANE.    Apocynum  androsczmz/oh'ufrL 

(301) 


302  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 


HEDGE  BIND-WEED. 

Convblvulus  sepiutn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Convolvulus.     Pink.,  or  white.        Scentless.         North  Atlantic  states.  All  summer. 

Flowers  :  terminal ;  solitary.  Calyx  :  of  five  sepals  surrounded  by  two  leafy 
bracts.  Corolla  :  bell-shaped  ;  convolute  or  twisted  in  the  bud.  Stamens :  five. 
Pistil :  one.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  rather  halbert-shaped ;  netted-veined.  Stem  : 
trailing.    Juice :  milky. 

Mr.  Burroughs  says  about  this  flower  :  *'  Morning-glory  is  the 
best  now.  It  always  refreshes  me  to  see  it."  **  In  the  morning 
and  cloudy  weather,"  says  Gray,  "  I  associate  it  with  the  holi- 
est morning  hours.  It  may  preside  over  my  morning  walks  and 
thoughts.     There  is  a  flower  for  every  mood  of  the  mind." 

C  arvensis^or  field  bindweed,  the  European  species,  has  made 
itself  quite  at  home  in  our  fields.  Its  calyx  is  without  bracts. 
Near  the  coast  it  becomes  a  weed. 

The  peculiarities  of  qudmoclit  coccinea,  cypress-vine,  are 
clearly  represented  in  Plate  CLIV. 

BOUNCING  BET.     FULLER'S  HERB.     SOAPWORT. 

{Plate  CLV.) 
Saponaria  offichialis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pink.  White,  or  rose.  Fragrant.  General.  Summer. 

Flowers  :  often  one  and  a  half  inches  broad ;  growing  in  corymbed  clusters. 
Calyx  :  tubular ;  five-toothed.  Corolla  :  of  five  narrow  petals,  notched  at  the 
apex.  Stamens  :  ten.  Pistil :  one,  with  two  curved  styles.  Leaves  :  opposite  ; 
nearly  sessile ;  lanceolate  ;  triple-ribbed.  Stem  :  smooth,  with  swollen  joints. 
Juice:  mucilaginous. 

It  was  always  a  mystery  to  Dickens  that  a  door  nail  should 
have  been  considered  so  much  more  dead  than  any  other  inani- 
mate object,  and  it  seems  also  strange  that  this  plant  should 
have  suggested  the  idea  of  bouncing  more  than  other  plants. 
Dear  Bettie  does  not  bounce,  nor  could  she  if  she  would.  She 
sits  most  firmly  on  her  stem,  and  her  characteristics  seem  to  be 
home-loving  and  simple.  We  are  sure  to  find  her  peeping 
through  the  garden  fences,  or  on  the  roadside,  where  the  chil- 


PLATE  CLIV.     CVPRESS-ViNE.     Quamodit  coccinea. 


PLATE  CLV.    BOUNCING  BET.     Saponaria  officinalis, 
(304) 


PLATE  CLVI       DOUBLE  BOUNCING   BET.     Saponaria  officinalis. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.  8T0KES  COMPANY 
PRINTED    IN    AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  305 

dren  nod  to  her  as  they  pass  by.     She  is  one  of  the  best  be- 
loved of  our  waste-ground  flora. 

The  double  variety,  Plate  CLVI,  suggests  the  bloom  of  a  cul- 
tivated flower  ;  and  this  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  as  it  was  at 
one  time  much  planted  in  gardens.  It  is  rather  more  common 
than  the  single  variety.  Throughout  the  eastern  states  the 
plants  are  spreading  very  rapidly.  Their  juice,  when  mixed 
with  water,  forms  a  lather.     This  fact  is  well  known. 

YELLOW  WOOD  SORREL.  LADY'S  SORREL. 

dxalis  strlcta. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Geranium.  Golden  yellow.  Scentless.  General.  All  summer. 

Flowers :  terminal ;  solitary.  Ca/yx  :  of  five  lanceolate  sepals.  Corolla  :  of 
five  petals.  Stamens:  ten.  Pistil:  one;  styles,  five.  Leaves:  divided  into 
three  obcordate,  smooth  leaflets.     Ste7n  :  slender ;  erect. 

An  odd  thing  about  this  pretty  sorrel  that  greets  us  along 
the  roadsides,  is  the  difficulty  it  seems  to  have  about  deciding 
the  matter  of  fertilization.  The  cleistogamous  blossoms  that  it 
bears  are  naturally  self-fertilized  :  while  the  showy  flowers  most 
cautiously  prevent  such  a  thing  by  being  either  dimorphous  or 
trimorphous, — that  is,  they  have  stamens  and  pistils  of  two 
different  lengths.  The  short  pistils  must  receive  the  pollen 
from  the  short  stamens  in  another  blossom  ;  and  the  long  pistils, 
the  pollen  from  the  long  stamens. 

At  night  the  plant  folds  together  its  leaves  and  sleeps.  O. 
acetosella,  Plate  CV. 

ENCHANTER'S  NIGHTSHADE. 

Circc^a  Ltitetidna, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Evening  primrose.  White.  Scentless.  General.  Summer. 

Flowers:  small;  growing  in  long,  loose,  terminal  and  lateral  racemes  ; 
pedicels  reflexed  in  fruit.  Calyx  :  two-lobed.  Corolla :  of  two  petals.  Stamens  : 
two.  Fistil:  one.  Z^az/^'j ;  opposite  ;  ovate  ;  smooth;  thin ;  serrated.  Stem: 
erect;  branching. 

A  name  is  a  great  deal  to  the  enchanter's  nightshade.     One 


3o6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

fairly  bristles  with  interest  to  seek  it  out  and  pause  under  its 
powers  of  enchantment.  And  in  proportion  to  the  keenness 
with  which  it  is  sought,  will  the  disappointment  be  great  in 
recognising  it  ;  for  few  flowers  possess  so  little  charm.  It  is 
persistent,  too,  and  thrusts  itself  upon  the  attention  of  the 
passer-by  whenever  it  finds  the  space  to  do  so  along  the  shady 
roadside. 

TRAVELLER'S  JOY.     VIRQIN'5  BOWER.     {Plate  CLVII.) 

Clemdtis   Virgzmdna. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Crowfoot,  White.  Slightly  fragrant.        New  England  south-       fuly^  August. 

•ward  and  westward. 

Flowers:  imperfect ;  clustered  loosely  in  panicles.  Ca/yj; ;  of  four  oblong, 
petal-like  sepals.  Corolla:  none.  6'/a/;/d'«j  and //j-Z/'/j  .•  indefinite  in  number. 
Fruit:  a  cluster  of  feathery  tailed  achenes.  Ze'^z/ifj- ;  opposite  ;  thrice  divided ; 
toothed.    Stem :  climbing. 

"  The  favoured  flower 
That  bears  the  name  of  Virgin's  bower." 

— Sir  Walter  Scott. 

In  Gerarde,  we  read  that  "  Traviler's  joie  is  this  same  plant 
termed  as  decking  and  adorning  waies  and  hedges  where  people 
travell  ;  Virgin's  bower,  by  reason  of  the  goodly  shadowe  which 
they  make  with  their  thick  bushing  and  climbing,  as  also  for  the 
beautie  of  the  fioweres,  and  the  pleasant  scent  and  savour  of 
the  same  ;  and  by  country  folks,  old  man's  beard,  from  the 
hoary  appearance  of  the  seeds,  which  remain  long  on  the 
hedges." 

Little  country  boys  also  call  the  plant,  Tom-bacca  and  smok- 
ing tree,  which  names  are  sufficiently  suggestive  for  us  to  im- 
agine the  reason  of  their  delight  in  the  lovely  climber. 

MUSK  HALLOW.     {Plate  CL  VIII.) 
Malva  moschata. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE         TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mallow.       White.,  or  magenta.      Herbage^  musk  scented.        General  July-September. 

Flowers:  clustered  on  short  peduncles.  Calyx:  of  five  ovate  sepals.  Co- 
rolla :  one  and  a  half  inches  broad  ;  of  five  malvaceous  petals.  Stamens :  very 
numerous,  growing  out  from  all  sides  of   a  column   wrapped   about  the  style. 


PLATE  CLVIll.     MUSK  MALLOW.     Malva  moschata. 


COPYRfGHT,    1899,    BY  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 

PRINTED    IN   AMERICA. 


PLATE  CLVII.    TRAVELLER'S  JOY.    Clematis  Virginiana, 
(307) 


3o8  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

Pistils  :    several.     Leaves :  five-lobed ;   the  divisions   again  divided  or  cleft. 
Stem  :  one  and  a  half  feet  high  ;  hairy. 

This  lovely  flower  that  has  come  to  us  from  Europe  and  es- 
caped from  the  gardens  to  the  roadsides  is  a  relative  of  the 
hollyhock.  It  is  mostly  in  the  evening  that  it  emits  a  faint 
musk-like  perfume. 


WHITE  ALDER,     SWEET  PEPPERBUSH.     (F/afe  CLIX.) 
ClHhra  alnifblia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

White  alder.         White.         Fragrant.        New  England  southward.  July,  August. 

Flowers :  growing  in  upright  clustered  racemes.  Calyx :  of  five  sepals. 
Corolla:  of  five  long,  narrow  petals.  Stajnens :  ten ;  protruding.  Pistil:  one. 
Leaves:  alternate;  ovate;  veined;  toothed.  A  handsome  shrub  three  to  ten 
feet  high  ;  upright;  leafy. 

One  of  the  joys  of  the  late  season  is  the  bursting  into  bloom 
of  the  clethra.  Its  delicate  blossoms  and  the  intense  fragrance 
that  it  sheds  about  recall  again  the  early  spring  days  of  timid 
flowers  and  soft  green  leaves  which  have  later  become  sadly 
overheated  or  dusty  beyond  recognition.  It  seeks  its  home  in 
shady  lanes  along  the  coast,  where  the  air  is  moist,  and  which  is 
undoubtedly  the  reason  of  its  freshness  so  late  in  the  season,  and 
of  the  vigour  of  its  dark  green  leaves.  It  remains  in  bloom  a 
long  time.     When  bruised  the  foliage  emits  a  peculiar  odour. 

C.  acumt7tatay  mountain  sweet  pepperbush,  is  found  in  the 
mountains  of  Virginia  and  Georgia.  It  is  readily  known  as  a 
near  relation  of  the  above  species. 

COMflON  SPEEDWELL. 

Veronica   officinalis, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort,  Light  blue.  Scentless.  General.  July. 

Flowers :  small ;  growing  in  axillary,  spike-like  racemes.  Calyx  :  four- 
parted.  Corolla  :  wheel-shaped  ;  with  four  lobes.  Stamens  :  two.  Pistil :  one. 
Leaves:  opposite;  on  short  petioles;  obovate ;  toothed;  hairy  or  smooth. 
Stem  :  prostrate. 

This   dear   little   speedwell   is   a  variable   plant,  sometimes 


PLATE  CL IX.    WHITE  ALDER.     Cleihra  alnifolia, 
(309) 


3IO  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

downy  and  sometimes  smooth  ;  but  with  enough  clearly  defined 
traits  to  make  it  always  recognisable. 

In  olden  times  its  leaves  were  made  into  a  popular  beverage, 
something  like  tea,  and  for  which  it  is  said  to  have  been  a  very 
good  and  wholesome  substitute. 

K  serpyllifblia^  thyme-leaved  speedwell,  is  another  variety 
that  is  fond  of  the  roadsides.  The  corolla  is  very  pale,  striped 
with  a  darker  blue,  and  the  leaves  are  more  rounded  in  outline 
than  those  of  V.  officinalis. 

BUTTER-AND-EGQS.     YELLOW  TOAD-FLAX. 

Lzndrm  Lindria. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Fig-wort.  Orange^  and yelloiu.  Pleasant.  General.  Summer. 

Flowers:  showy;  growing  closely  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx:  five- 
parted.  Corolla  :  two-lipped,  closed  in  the  throat ;  extending  backward  into 
a  long,  pointed  spur ;  within  hairy.  The  hairs  and  tip  of  the  corolla  of  a 
deeper  orange  shade  of  yellow.  Stamens  :  four,  in  pairs  of  unequal  length. 
Pistil :  one.  Leaves  ;  alternate  ;  linear ;  grass-like.  Stem  :  erect ;  branching  ; 
smooth. 

Our  very  familiarity  with  these  conspicuous  and  beautiful 
flowers  inclines  us  to  pay  little  heed  to  them  ;  although  they 
find  their  way  into  children's  hands  almost  more  than  any  other 
of  our  wayside  flora.  If  we  had  to  seek  them  through  some 
quaking  bog  with  only  a  vague  hope  of  finding  them  we  should 
probably  prize  them  in  some  such  way  as  we  do  the  yellow 
orchis.  But  they  give  us  no  trouble.  They  galivant  along  the 
roadsides  and  we  may  admire  them,  or  pass  them  by,  just  as  we 
choose.  No  doubt  the  political  economist  would  remind  us  in 
this  connection  that  things  are  only  valuable  that  are  limited 
in  supply. 

BLUE,  OR  WILD  TOAD-FLAX. 

Lmaria  Canadensis, 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Figwort.  Pale  blue^  or  purple.  Scentless.  General.  July-October. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx  :  five-parted  Corolla  :  two 
lipped,  closed  in   the    throat,  extending  backward   into   a  long  pointed  spur. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  311 

Stamens:  four,  in  pairs  of  unequal  length.  Pistil :  one.  Leaves:  those  of  the 
base,  tufted ;  those  of  the  stem,  alternate ;  linear ;  sessile ;  parallel-veined. 
Stem  :  erect ;  leafy  ;  smooth. 

Along  the  sandy  roadsides  the  blue  linaria  seems  to  be  per- 
fectly at  home  and  happy.  It  comes  early  in  the  summer  and  re- 
mains until  late  in  the  autumn  ;  enjoying  the  sunshine,  the 
singing  of  the  birds  and  the  fun-loving  urchins  that  know  it  so 
well.  It  can  hardly  be  said  to  resemble  very  closely  its  near 
relative,  the  sprightly  butter-and-eggs. 

Z.  repens,  pale-blue  toad-flax,  is  a  small  species  that  is  found 
about  the  Atlantic  seaports.     It  has  come  to  us  from  Europe. 

POKEWEED.     PIGEON-BERRY. 

Phytoldcca  decdndra. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Poke-weed.  White  and  pink.  Scentless.  General.  July-September. 

Flowers :  on  pedicels;  growing  in  a  long  raceme.  Calyx  :  of  five  rounded,  pet- 
al-like sepals,  pinkish  on  the  outside  and  whitish  within.  Stamens  :  ten.  Pistil: 
one;  styles,  ten.  The  ovary  like  a  green  eye.  Fruit:  a  bunch  of  many 
purple,  juicy  berries.  Leaves:  large;  alternate;  on  long  petioles;  lanceolate; 
conspicuously  veined  ;  smooth  and  thin.  Stem  :  five  to  ten  feet  high;  stocky  ; 
smooth.     Pools :  poisonous. 

In  the  distribution  of  talents  it  is  not  given  to  every  one  to 
be  an  admirer  of  pokeweed.  Even  the  long,  cylindrical  racemes 
of  purple  berries  that,  clustered  among  the  soft  green  leaves, 
line  many  a  roadside  in  the  late  autumn,  fail  to  call  forth  the 
least  enthusiasm  from  these  slighted  people.  To  them  poke- 
weed  is  pokeweed  and  that  is  an  end  of  the  matter,  Mr.  Bur- 
roughs is  fond  of  pokeweed  and  says  :  "  What  a  lusty,  royal 
plant  it  is  !  It  never  invades  cultivated  fields  but  hovers  about 
the  borders  and  looks  over  the  fences  like  a  painted  Indian 
sachem." 

Although  the  bloom  is  usually  ascribed  to  July  and  the  fruit 
to  September,  there  are  many  spots  on  Long  Island  and  in  New 
Jersey  where  the  plant  lingers  in  blossom  nntil  early  September. 
Country  people  boil  the  young  shoots  as  greens,  and  from  their 
accounts  of  them  they  quite  rival  asparagus  in  delicacy  of 
flavour.     The  berries  also  are  greatly  enjoyed  by  birds. 


312  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

WHITE  SWEET  CLOVER.     WHITE  MELILOT. 

Melilbtus  cilba. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  White.  Leaves.,  fragrant.  General.  July-September. 

Flowers:  small,  clustered  in  spike-like  racemes.  Corolla:  papilionaceous. 
Leaves:  divided  into  three  obovate,  toothed  leaflets,  notched  at  the  apex.  Stem: 
two  to  four  feet  high  ;  upright ;  branching  ;  leafy. 

Mr.  Gibson  observed  that  at  night  two  of  the  three  pretty 
leaflets  of  the  white  sweet  clover  close  and  the  third  one,  he 
says,  "  is  left  out  in  the  cold." 

When  dried  the  foliage  has  a  fragrance  like  new-mown  hay 
and  is  antagonistic  to  moths.  It  is  also  used  as  a  substitute  for 
snuff  and  tobacco. 

YELLOW  SWEET  CLOVER.     YELLOW  flELILOT. 

Melilbtus  officindlis. 
Were  it  not  for  a  slight  shortness  in  height  and  the  blunt- 
ness  of  the  leaves,  we  might  fancy  the  yellow  sweet  clover  to 
be  the  same  species  as  the  white  one  ;  and  that  it  had  simply 
amused  itself  by  wearing  a  different  coloured  gown,  and  follow- 
ing the  popular  whim  for  variety.  We  must,  however,  conclude 
that  they  are  sisters  of  equal  sweetness  and  grace. 

It  was  by  a  shady  roadside 

My  own  sweet  clover  grew, 
Where  the  low  stone  wall  is  broken 

And  the  pasture  comes  in  view. 

I  bent  o'er  to  pick  the  wilding, 

When  hark,  was  that  a  sigh  .-' 
I'll  leave  it  where  God  has  placed  it, 

Thought  I,  as  I  sauntered  by. 

BLUE  VETCH. 

Vic  I  a  Crdcca. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse.  Blue  Scentless.  Mostly  north  and  west.  June-August. 

Flowers :  growing  closely  together  on  one  side  of  a  long  spike.  Calyx : 
short,  with  unequal  teeth.  C^r<3//a  .•  papilionaceous.  Leaves:  pinnate,  divided 
into  ten  to  twelve  pairs  of  smooth,  oblong  leaflets.  The  common  petiole 
terminating  in  a  tendril. 


PLATE  CLX. 


HOG-PEANUT. 


Falcata  comosa. 


314  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

This  **  splendid  tufted  vetch,"  is  found  along  the  borders  of 
roadsides  and  in  the  thickets.  It  stretches  out  its  tendrils  as 
though  it  loved  to  climb  and  gleefully  throws  out  its  bright 
flowers  to  mingle  with  the  grasses  and  brambles. 

V.  Americana  has  larger  purple  flowers,  and  but  five  to  seven 
pairs  of  ovate  leaflets. 

HOG-PEANUT.     (.Flate  CLX) 
Falcdta  combsa. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Pulse. 

Pale  lilac. 

Scentless. 

New  England  to  Florida 
and  westward. 

A  ugusi,  September 

Flotuers  :  growing  in  axillary  racemes.  Calyx  :  tubular  ;  four  or  five-toothed. 
Corolla  :  papilionaceous,  the  standard  partly  wrapped  about  the  other  petals. 
Stamens:  ten;  united.  Pistil :  o\\&.  Pods:  one  inch  long  ;  linear.  Leaves: 
divided  into  three,  ovate,  pointed  leaflets  ;  netted-veined ;  thin ;  smooth. 
Stem  :  wiry ;  three-sided,  covered  with  brown  hairs. 

This  little  plant  is  another  that  has  its  household  divided 
against  itself.  The  upper  pretty  flowers  enjoy  life,  lend  them- 
selves to  the  breeze  and  are  altogether  useless  ;  while  the 
workers  are  down  below  and  have  no  time  to  deck  themselves 
in  gay,  pretty  corollas.  It  is  a  graceful  climber  and  has  a 
fineness  and  delicacy  of  character  often  strongly  in  contrast  to 
its  associates,  as  it  usually  twines  about  coarse,  rough  plants. 

Whoever  maimed  the  unoffending  little  thing  with  the  name 
of  hog-peanut  must  still  be  smarting  under  the  weight  of  his 
iniquities ;  although  the  circumstance  that  led  to  his  doing  so 
is  traced  in  the  underground,  pale,  one-sided,  swollen  and  hairy 
pods,  the  product  of  the  hidden  blossoms.  They  are  not 
unlike  peanuts  in  appearance,  and  hogs  uproot  them  to  feast 
upon.     Cattle  eat  also  the  herbage  of  the  plant. 

SIMPLER'S  JOY.     BLUE  VERVAIN. 

Verbena  hastaia. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Vervain.  Purplish  blue.  Scentless.  General.  July,  August. 

Flowers  :  growing  in  numerous,  corymbed,  terminal  spikes.  Calyx  :  tubular  ; 
five-toothed.     Corolla  :    tubular  ;  salver-shaped  ;  with  five    lobes.      Stamens  ; 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  315 

four;  growing  in  pairs.  Pistil :  ont.  Leaves:  opposite;  on  petioles  ;  lanceo- 
late pointed  at  both  ends ;  serrated ;  rough ;  conspicuously  veined.  Stem  : 
sometimes  six  feet  high  ;  leafy  ;  angled ;  rough. 

Rearing  amid  the  summer  foliage  its  tall  steeple-like  spikes 
of  intense  colour,  the  blue  vervain  strikes  joy  to  many  a  heart 
beside  that  of  the  ancient  simpler,  who,  of  shaggy  appearance, 
armed  with  an  old  tin  kettle  and  a  great  bag,  bent  his  back 
and  thrust  his  two-edged  knife  into  the  soil  that  he  might  bear 
the  plant  away  and  haggle  with  his  friend,  the  chemist,  for  its 
exchange  in  filthy  lucre.  For  the  herb  doctors  had  no  more 
faithful  ally  than  the  blue  vervain. 

Our  plant  is  not  identical  with  the  "  sacred  herb  "  of  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  ;  a  sprig  of  which  was  sent  as  an  ambas- 
sador on  treaties  of  peace,  and  used  to  decorate  altars  at 
sacrifices  and  incantations.  In  those  days  the  name  verbena 
was  rather  generally  applied  to  almost  any  branch  that  had  a 
part  in  religious  rites.  The  plant  has,  however,  been  credited 
with  averting  disaster  and  signifies  enchantment  in  the  lan- 
guage of  flowers. 

V.  urticifblia^  white  vervain,  is  also  common  along  the 
roadsides.  It  resembles  the  simpler's  joy,  although  its  flowers 
are  fewer  and  less  attractive. 

Both  of  these  vervains  are  country  cousins  of  the  large- 
flowered,  many-coloured  verbenas  of  the  gardens. 

CREEPING  THYME. 

Thymus  Serpyllum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.  Bluish  purple.  Fragrant.  General.  Summer. 

Flowers :  growing  closely  in  whorls  at  the  ends  of  the  branches  and  pos- 
sessed of  a  pair  of  floral  leaves.  Calyx  and  corolla :  two-lipped.  Stamens  : 
two.  Pistil :  one  ;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves  :  small ;  ovate  ;  veined  ;  smooth, 
with  a  fringe  of  hairs  at  the  base.    Stem  :  creeping  ;  branched. 

The  round  moss-like  hillocks  of  this  fragrant  wilding  form 
pleasant  playing  grounds  for  the  rabbit  to  gambol  amongst. 
It  comes  to  us  from  Europe,  where  it  is  surrounded  with 
many  tender  and  classic  associations. 


31 6  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

COMflON  MOTHERWORT. 

Leon  ur  us  Cardiac  a. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint. 

PaU/>urJ>le. 

Scentless. 

New  England  to  North 
Corrolina  and  westward. 

Late  summer. 

Flowers:  growing  closely  in  whorls  along  the  branches.  Caly.x :  with 
five  awl-shaped  teeth.  Corolla:  two-lipped;  the  upper  lip  entire  and 
bearded ;  the  lower  lip  three-lobed,  the  middle  one  being  larger  and  obcordate 
Stamens :  ioMX,  in  pairs.  Pistil:  one;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves:  opposite; 
the  lower  ones  palmately  divided,  the  upper  ones,  three-cleft ;  rough.  Stem  : 
tall;  erect;  leafy;  purplish. 

We  can  hardly  pass  on  without  considering  the  motherwort, 
which  belongs  to  the  group  of  plants  that  were  so  tenderly 
cherished  by  our  grandmothers.  In  their  homes  it  played  its 
part  as  a  never-failing  cure  for  colds.  What  a  pleasant  hobnob 
motherwort,  agrimony,  boneset,  tansy  and  many  other  plants 
of  their  set  would  have  if  they  should  ever  meet  together  and 
chat  over  the  good  old  times  when  they  were  held  in  such  high 
esteem, 

AMERICAN  DITTANY.    STONE  MINT. 

Cunila  origanoldes. 

FAMILY        COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.     Lavender^  or    Leaves^ /ragrant.      New  York  to  Georgia     August^  Se^tentier. 
white.  and  westward. 

Flowers:  small  ;  growing  in  cymose  clusters.  Calyx:  five-toothed  ;  hairy 
in  the  throat.  Corolla:  two-lipped;  the  lobes  nearly  equal.  Stamens:  two; 
protruding.  Pistil:  one;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves:  small;  opposite;  ovate, 
heart-shaped  at  base  ;  sessile  ;  toothed.     Stem  :  branching;  highly  coloured. 

The  dittany  would  be  recognised  as  a  member  of  the  mint 
family  from  its  strong  aromatic  fragrance.  It  is  a  prim  little 
plant  and  its  wants  in  this  world  are  few.  It  seems  to  be  con- 
tent with  the  dry,  packed  soil  of  the  roadside  and  to  have  its 
comeliness  overshadowed  by  the  masses  of  composites  that  are 
greatly  en  evidence  at  the  late  season  of  the  year  when  it 
blooms. 

SELF-HEAL.    HEAL-ALL. 

Prunella  vulgdris. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Mint.  Pinkish  purple.  Scentless.  General.  June-September. 

Flowers :  small ;  growing  in  clusters  of  threes  in  a  compact,  terminal  spike 
among  leafy  bracts.     Calyx:  two-lipped;  the  upper  lip  with  three  small  teeth; 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  317 

the  lower  one  two-cleft.  Corolla :  two-lipped  ;  the  standard  large  and  over- 
shadowing the  other  petals  ;  the  lower  lip,  three-cleft.  Stamens  :  four.  Pistil  : 
one ;  style,  two-lobed.  Leaves :  opposite  ;  on  petioles  ;  oblong  ;  smooth  ; 
veined.     Stem :  six  inches  high  ;  four-angled. 

How  grateful  the  little  self-heal  must  feel  to  the  soft  rain 
that  falls  upon  it  when  thirsty  and  dusty  it  tries  to  maintain  its 
reputation  for  cheeriness  along  the  roadsides.  And  what  a 
wonderful  transformation  we  see  in  the  plant  after  it  has  been 
so  refreshed.  But  few  flowers  bloom  at  the  same  time  in  the 
leafy  spike  and  when  examined  separately  they  are  found  to  be 
very  pretty. 

The  common  name  of  the  plant  refers  to  the  kindly  interest 
it  has  always  taken  in  the  ills  of  mankind.  It  is  a  lover  of  the 
people.  Labourers  apply  it  freely  to  their  wounds  and  it  has 
been  used  as  a  never-failing  cure  for  quinsy. 


JERUSALEH  ARTICHOKE.    WILD  SUNFLOWER. 

Helidnthus  tuberbsus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite,        Bright  yellow.         Scentless.         Mostly  south  and  west.         All  summer. 

Flower-heads :  large ;  flat ;  terminal  and  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk 
flowers.  The  disk-flowers  tubular,  yellow  or  yellowish  ;  the  rays  bright 
yellow.  Leaves  :  on  petioles,  ovate  ;  triple-ribbed,  hairy.  Stem :  five  to  seven 
feet  high  ;  branched  above  ;  hairy.     Rootstock  :  tuberous. 

This  tall  and  beautiful  species  of  sunflower  has  a  fancy  for 
rearing  itself  by  old  fences,  and  peeping  into  the  gardens.  It 
seems  as  though  it  could  hardly  resign  itself  to  be  severed  en- 
tirely from  civilisation  and  domesticity.  Its  tubers  are  quite 
large  and  edible. 

WILD  SUNFLOWER. 

Helidnthus  giganthus. 


FAMILY 

COLOUR 

ODOUR 

RANGE 

TIME  OF   BLOOM 

Composite. 

Yellow. 

Scentless. 

Mostly  north. 

Late  summer  and 
early  autumn. 

Flower-heads  :  terminal  ;  solitary,  and  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk  flowers. 
Involucre  :  of  two  series  of  bract-like  pointed  leaves.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  al- 
most sessile  ;  lanceolate  ;  rough.  Stem  :  upright ;  branched  above  ;  leafy  ; 
rough. 


3i8  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

This  sunflower  is  our  common  species  of  the  north  and  we 
are  familiar  with  seeing  it  along  the  roadsides,  where  it  often 
forms  a  most  gorgeous  hedge. 

H.  mollis^  plate  CLXI,  is  found  from  Ohio  southward  and 
westward.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  family. 
The  leaves  are  heart-ovate,  opposite  and  clasping,  and  the 
whole  plant  is  covered  with  a  white  wool,  which  gives  it  a  misty 
look.  It  is  quite  remarkable  how  well  the  coloured  plate  rep- 
resents this  effect.     The  plant  is  from  two  to  four  feet  high. 

H.  divaricatus  has  large  showy  flower-heads  and  opposite, 
ovate-lanceolate  leaves  that  are  rounded  at  the  base.  It  is 
also  partial  to  the  roadsides  and  banks. 

H.  annus  is  the  garden  species  with  which  we  are  all  familiar. 
In  Europe  it  is  cultivated  for  its  seeds,  which  are  fed  to 
sheep,  pigs  and  poultry.  They  are  also  the  principal  food  of 
parrots. 

According  to  the  mythological  tradition  of  the  Greeks  the 
sunflower  is  none  other  than  the  fair  water-nymph  Clytie,  who 
was  transformed  into  the  flower.  When  she  found  that  her 
mad  love  for  Apollo  was  not  returned  she  grieved  greatly,  and 
sat  nine  days  upon  the  ground  neither  eating  nor  drinking  but 
watching  intently  the  sun.  Her  head  she  turned  gradually  to 
follow  him  as  he  travelled  from  east  to  west.  At  last  her  limbs 
became  rooted  to  the  ground  and  her  face  became  a  sunflower. 

Even  to-day  the  illusion  is  prevalent  that  the  sunflower,  the 
emblem  of  constancy,  turns  its  face  to  follow  the  course  of  the 
sun.     Moore  alludes  to  it  in — 

**  The  heart  that  has  truly  loved  never  forgets 
But  as  truly  loves  on  to  the  close 
As  the  sunflower  turns  on  her  god  when  he  sets 
The  same  look  that  she  turned  when  he  rose." 

In  ancient  sculpture  the  sunflower  has  ever  been  a  favourite 
decoration,  and  especially  has  it  been  looked  upon  as  sacred  in 
those  countries  that  have  worshipped  the  sun. 


PLATE  CLXl.     SUNFLOWER.     Helianthus  mollis. 


COPYRIGHT,    1699,    BY   FREDERICK   A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTEO    IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  319 

TANSY. 

TanacHum  vulgar e. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Yellow.  Strongly  scented.  Getter al.  All  summer. 

Flowers  :  tiny  ;  tubular ;  growing  in  a  flat-topped  umbel.  Leaves  :  pinnately 
divided  into  linear,  deeply  incised  leaflets.  Ste7n  :  two  to  four  feet  high, 
branched  at  the  top. 

*'  Soone  at  Easter  cometh  alleluya 
With  butter,  cheese  and  a  tansay." 

In  certain  parts  of  Ireland,  where  customs  are  perhaps  not  as 
changeable  as  they  are  in  this  newer  world  of  ours,  we  might 
at  Easter  partake  in  the  festival  with  which  the  name  of  tansy 
has  been  associated,  ever  since  the  eleventh  century.  It  then 
came  about  that  tansy  was  made  into  cakes  for  distribution 
among  the  poor,  and  the  figures  of  two  charitable  sisters  were 
stamped  upon  them. 

The  medicinal  properties  that  tansy  possessed  made  it  desir- 
able to  use  at  this  season  of  the  year,  to  purge  away  from  the 
system  the  phlegm  that  had  been  engendered  by  the  eating  of 
fish  during  the  lenten  season. 

"  On  Easter  Sunday  be  the  pudding  seen 
To  which  the  tansy  lends  her  sober  green." 

ELECAMPANE. 

Inula  Helhiiwn. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Yellow.  Herbaceous.  General.  Summer. 

FloTver-heads  :  large  ;  terminal  and  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk  flowers  ; 
the  former  few,  long  and  narrow.  Leaves  :  large  ;  alternate  ;  clasping ;  oblong ; 
serrated  ;  the  lower  sides  pale  and  woolly.  Stem  :  four  to  five  feet  high  ;  stout. 
Roots  :   thick  ;    containing  a  mucilaginous  substance. 

There  are  flowers  that  speak  to  us  of  the  sunshine,  and  there 
are  those  that  cast  about  a  shadow.  Happily  we  associate  the 
elecampane  with  the  sun  because  its  face  is  so  bright  and 
golden.  It  has  also  done  many  good  deeds  to  man  and  beast 
during  its  long  residence  on  the  globe.  In  veterinary  practice 
it  is  used  largely  in  epidemics,  and  when  made  into  a  tea  it  is  ex- 


320  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

cellent  for  coughs,  or  to  strengthen   the  human  system.     In 
fact,  it  is  one  of  the  oldest  known  of  the  medicinal  plants. 

CHAnoniLE.     MAYWEED. 

Anthemis  Cdtula. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.     White^  centre  yellow.       Strongly  scented.        Mostly  east.        Late  sutnmar. 

Flower-heads  :  small ;  composed  of  ray  and  disk  flowers  similar  to  those  of 
the  white  daisy.  The  disk-flowers  arranged  in  a  more  decided  cone  and  the 
twice  pinnately-divided  leaves  mark  the  difference  by  which  it  may  be  known. 

"  Bring  down  the  bag  of  chamomile  leaves  and  put  some  to 
steep  on  the  stove,  Lambie,  and  trust  me  to  know  what  will 
bring  the  roses  back  to  your  cheeks  when  the  spring  air  makes 
you  limpid  and  weak." 

In  some  such  phrase  the  virtues  of  chamomile  have  been 
sung  throughout  many  generations.  It  has  also  been  described 
by  an  old  writer  as  the  plant  physician  ;  for  a  sick  plant,  when 
placed  near  it,  will  frequently  recover.  Insects,  however,  can- 
not abide  it,  in  either  a  dried  or  powdered  form  ;  and  nightmare 
will  not  enter  the  portal  when  a  piece  of  it  is  laid  on  the  pillow 
beside  a  troubled  sleeper. 

It  is  a  bold  little  plant  and  often  ventures  even  into  the  ruts 
made  by  heavy  wagons  in  country  roads. 

IRON-WEED.     (P/afe  CZX/I.) 
Verndnz'a  Noveboracinsis. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.        Reddish  purple.         Scentless.       Maine  to  Virginia        August^  September. 

a7id  "westward. 

Flower -heads :  loosely  clustered  in  corymbs  on  axillary  flower-stalks  and 
composed  of  tubular  flowers.  Involucre  :  of  pointed  purplish  scales  similar  to 
those  of  the  thistle.  Leaves:  lanceolate;  netted-veined  ;  rough.  Stem:  tall; 
leafy  ;  purplish  ;   crisp. 

There  is  just  a  little  rivalry  between  the  iron-weed  and  some 

of  the  members  of  the  aster  family,  and  we  often  find  them 

disputing  the  possession  of  the  roadside  banks.     Usually  the 

asters  come  out  victorious,  and  the  iron-weed  is  then  driven  to 

seek  refuge  in  the  low  meadows,  where  it  begins  the  same  feud 

over   again    with    Joe-Pye-weed.     It   is   a   handsome,  brilliant 


PLATE  CLXII.     IRON-WEED.     Vernonta  Noveboracen, 

(321) 


322  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

plant  and  at  a  distance  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  an  aster. 
Its  tubular  flowers  and  involucre,  however,  at  once  remind  us 
that  it  is  the  iron-weed. 

BONESET.     THOROUGHWORT. 

Eupatbrium  perfolidtum. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.  Greenish  white.  Herbaceous.  General.  August.,  September. 

Flower-heads ;  very  small ;  tubular,  growing  in  large,  dense  corymbs.  Leaves  : 
opposite ;  united  at  the  base  about  the  stem  ;  lanceolate  ;  rough  ;  netted-veined 
and  serrated.     Ste77i :  four  to  five  feet  high  ;  branching  ;  leafy  ;  very  hairy. 

When  in  full  blow  the  protruding  stamens  from  these  innumer- 
able little  flowers  give  a  fluffy  look  to  boneset  that  greatly 
adds  to  its  rather  slight  claim  to  beauty.  Perhaps  the  know- 
ing insects  have  the  same  faith  in  its  efficacy  for  healing  as  was 
believed  in  by  the  good  old  herb  doctors,  as  they  manage 
almost  every  season  to  devour  the  leaves  so  that  they  are 
left  simply  fibrous  net-works. 

Boneset  is,  as  it  has  always  been,  a  staunch  friend  to  frail 
humanity,  and  a  well-prepared  decoction  of  the  dried  herb 
causes  new  vigour  to  flow  through  the  veins  of  many  a  droop- 
ing mortal. 

Boneset  taffy  is  very  good,  much  better  to  taste,  in  fact,  than 
boneset  tea. 

COMMON  YARROW.     fllLFOIL.      {F/afe  CLX///.) 

Achillea  Millefblium. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR        ,  RANGE,  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Composite.         White^  or  pinkish.      Strongly  scented.  General.  July-October. 

Flower-heads  :  growing  in  compound  corymbs  and  composed  of  both  ray  and 
disk  flowers.  The  rays  four  or  five  square  and  three-cleft  at  the  apex  ;  the 
disk  dingy  white.  Leaves  :  alternate  ;  twice  divided  into  fine  segments.  Slem  : 
very  leafy  ;  downy  ;  much  branched  at  the  top. 

It  is  fortunate  that  the  milfoil  is  attributed  with  so  many 
virtues  and  has  the  sanction  of  the  great  Achilles,  whose  name 
it  bears,  and  who  is  said  to  have  discovered  its  healing  pro- 
perties, and  to  have  employed  them  for  the  benefit  of  his  sol- 
diers ;  for  certainly  it  is  not  pretty.  That  is,  we  think  it  is  not 
pretty  when  we  see  it  along  the  dusty  roadside.     Placed  under  a 


PLATE  CLXIIl.     COMMON  YARROW.    Achillea  Millefolium. 


324  PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL. 

microscope,  however,  it  is  astonishing  the  amount  of  beauty  it 
reveals.  In  soitld'parts  of  England  it  is  still  used  for  weaving 
bridal  wreaths  and  has  been  thus  celebrated  in  flower-lore. 

"  Thou  pretty  nest  of  Venus'  tree, 
Thy  true  name  it  is  yarrow, 
Now  who  thy  bosom  friend  must  be, 
Pray  tell  thou  me  to-morrow." 

CHICORY.     SUCCORY.     {Plate  CLXIV) 
Cichbriiun  intyhus. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

Chicory,        BlVj*^  white^  or  pink.        Scentless.        Mostly  east.        Summer  and  autumn. 

Flmuer-heads :  showy ;  arranged  along  the  stem,  and  composed  entirely  of 
strap-shaped  flowers.  '  Leaves :  entire  ;  lanceolate  ;  pointed  and  clasping,  the 
floral  ones  bract-like  and  small.     Ste77i :  upright,  branching,  hairy. 

"  And  spreading  succory  chokes  the  rising  field." 

— Virgil. 

The  name  cichorium  is  of  Arabic  origin,  which  would  rather 
suggest  that  this  little  plant  has  travelled  far  and  seen  a  wealth 
of  places.  We  know  that  Horace  had  it  frequently  upon  his 
menu,  and  that  in  Egypt  it  is  used  as  an  article  of  food.  From 
the  leaves  the  French  make  a  most  delicious  salad.  No  doubt 
it  has  a  taste  for  serving  all  nations,  and  so  has  unceremoni- 
ously crossed  the  ocean  and  is  bent  on  keeping  its  blue  eye 
upon  the  new  world.  Happily  it  has  had  the  good  manners  to 
bring  with  it  a  bright,  attractive  appearance,  or  those  detractors 
of  weeds  might  feel  a  little  miffed  at  the  cool  way  in  which  it 
has  taken  possession  of  our  highways.  As  yet  it  has  not 
travelled  very  far  southward. 

Its  deep  dandelion-like  roots  have  been  used  to  adulterate 
coffee.  Their  disagreeable  flavour,  however,  is  at  once  per- 
ceptible. 

ROADSIDE  ASTERS. 

FAMILY  COLOUR  ODOUR  RANGE  TIME  OF  BLOOM 

CompcsiU,  Bluish  purple^  or  Scentless.  General.  Summer  and  early 

white.  autumn. 

"And  everywhere  the  purple  asters  nod 
And  bend  and  wave  and  flit.'* 


PLATE 


CLXIV.      CHILURY.      Cic-hoyin,n  Jutvhus. 


COPYRIGHT,    1899,    By  FREDERICK  A.   STOKES  COMPANY. 
PRINTED   IN   AMERICA. 


PLANTS  GROWING  IN  WASTE  SOIL.  325 

Aster  patens,  late  purple  aster,  Plate  CXXXIII,  appears 
along  the  roadsides  in  early  August,  and  is  one  of  the  first 
shadowy  prophecies  of  the  approaching  autumn.  It  is  a  large, 
beautiful  species  with  solitary  flower-heads,  a  half  inch  to  two 
inches  in  diameter,  and  borne  at  the  end  of  rough,  spreading 
branches.  It  is  readily  known  by  its  lanceolate,  clasping  upper 
leaves   and  the  heart-shaped  ones  of  the  lower  stem. 

A.  l^is,  smooth  aster,  Plate  CXXXIII,  is  a  similar  species, 
only  its  flower-heads  are  clustered  together  in  a  panicle.  Its 
colour  is  not  such  a  deep  purple  as  that  of  A.  patens,  and  it 
seldom  reaches  over  two  feet  high.  It  lives  by  the  roadsides 
or  in  the  open  wood  borders,  and  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  of 
the  family. 

A.  cordifhliiis  is  the  tiny  pale  blue  aster  with  the  saucy  little 
dark  disk-flowers  that  peep  through  the  fences  along  the  road- 
sides. Its  flower-heads  are  numerous  in  a  loose  panicle  ;  and 
its  leaves,  as  its  name  indicates,  are  heart-shaped.  The  plant 
is  smooth  in  texture. 

A.  ericdtdes,  white  heath  aster,  is  the  familiar  tiny  white  aster 
that  is  so  conspicuous  along  the  roadsides.  It  grows  about  a 
foot  high,  and  bears  innumerable  flower-heads  on  its  wiry 
spreading  branches. 

A.  divaricdtus,  white  wood  aster,  is  also  noticeable  along  the 
roadside  and  by  thin  borders  of  open  woods.  It  has  but  few, 
six  to  nine,  white  rays  in  loosely  clustered  flower-heads.  The 
leaves  are  long,  narrow,  and  grow  upon  zigzag  stems. 

As  the  golden-rods,  the  asters  are  a  peculiar  feature  of  the 
unrivalled  tints  of  the  American  autumn. 

"  There  is  a  lesson  in  each  flower, 
A  story  in  each  stream  and  bower ; 
In  every  herb  on  which  you  tread, 
Are  written  words,  which  rightly  read 
Will  lead  you  from  earth's  fragrant  soil, 
To  hope  and  holiness  and  God." 

— Allen  Cunningham. 


Index  to  Colour. 


WHITE. 


Abronia,  White,  194. 
Alder,  White,  308. 
Andromeda,  Marsh,  57. 
Apple,  Mock,  106. 
Arrow-head,  36. 
Arbutus,  Trailing,  204. 
Asters,  Swamp,  77. 

"      Sandy  soil,  254. 

"      Roadside,  324. 
Avens,  White,  217. 

Baneberry,  White,  154. 
Bayonet,  Spanish,  231. 
Beach  Plum,  232. 
Beard's  Tongue,  White,  196. 
Bergamot,  Wild,  198. 
Bind-weed,  Field,  302. 

"      "       Hedge,  302. 
Bishop-weed,  Mock,  loi. 
Bitter  Sweet,  298. 
Black-haw,  261. 
Blood-root,  186. 
Boncset,  322. 
Bouncing  Bet,  302. 

"  Double,  305. 

Buckbean,  70. 
Bunch-berry,  158. 
Bush-clover,  Round-headed,  246. 
Button-bush,  97. 

Calamint,  Carolina,  250. 
Campion,  Starry,  220. 
Carrot,  Wild,  281. 
Cassandra,  Dwarf,  97. 
Catalpa,  196. 


Chamomile,  320. 

Chicory,  324. 

Chokeberry,  50. 

Choke-cherry,  86. 

Clover,  White  Sweet,  312. 

Cohosh,  Black,  156. 

Cornel,  Panicled,  95. 

Cranberry  Tree,  118. 

Creeper,  Virginia,  300. 

Cress,  Bulbous,  96. 

Crinkle-root,  184. 

Crinum,  American,  44. 

Crowfoot,  Common  White,  Water,  30. 

Culver's-root,  198. 

Daisy,  White,  291. 
Dalibarda,  150. 
Dittany,  American,  316. 
Dodder,  Common,  278. 
Dog's-tooth  Violet,  White,  82. 
Dogwood,  Flowering,  160. 

"  Round-leaved,''i6o. 

"  Wild  Red-Osier,  95. 

Dutchman's  Breeches,  174. 

Elder,  120. 

Everlasting,  Plantain-leaf,  287. 

Fleabane,  Larger  Daisy,  290. 
"  Smaller  Daisy,  291. 

Foam  Flower,  158. 
Fringe  Tree,  Common,  94. 

Gentian,  Fringed,  128. 
Striped,  286. 
Ginseng,  Five-leaved,  222. 


INDEX  TO  COLOUR. 


327 


Gold  Thread,  50. 
Green-brier,  298. 
Ground-nut,  220. 

Hawthorn,  150. 
Hemlock,  Water,  30. 
Hepatica,  207. 
Hobble-bush,  188. 
Honeysuckle,  White  Swamp,  55. 
Hound's  Tongue,  265. 

Indian  Pipe,  168. 

"        Tobacco,  274, 
Ivy,  Poison,  261. 

Jamestown-weed,  278. 

Lady's  Slipper,  Showy,  60. 
Lady's  Tresses,  Slender,  284. 
Larkspur,  Carolina,  212. 

"  Dwarf,  212. 

Laurel,  Mountain,  161. 
Lily-of-the- Valley,  False,  143. 
Lizard's  Tail,  55. 
Lobelia,  Southern,  75. 

Magnolia,  Small,  69. 
Mandrake,  Wild,  214. 
Mallow,  Musk,  306. 
Meadow-sweet,  86. 
Mitre-wort,  158. 
Moth-mullen,  284. 
Mustard,  White,  297. 

Nevins's  Stone  Crop,  172. 
Nightshade,  Enchanter's,  305. 

Orchis,  White-fringed,  65. 

Partridge  Vine,  216. 
Pepperbush,  Mountain  Sweet,  308 
Pimpernel,  236. 
Pink,  Ground,  187. 
Pipsissewa,  206. 
Plantain,  Rattlesnake,  184. 
Pokeweed,  311. 
Polygala,  Purple,  114. 


Primrose,  Scapose,  270. 
Pyxie,  203. 

Rhododendron,  Great,  163. 
Rock-cress,  Hairy,  186. 
Rose,  Early  White,  152. 
Rue  Anemone,  210. 
Rue,  Tall  Meadow,  102. 

Sarsaparilla,  Wild,  222. 
Saxifrage,  Early,  156. 
Shad-bush,  256. 
Shepherd's  Purse,  297. 
Shin-leaf,  164. 

Sidalcea,  White-flowered,  108. 
Silver-rod,  136. 
Snowberry,  Creeping,  56. 
Snowdrop  Tree,  Four-winged,  84. 
Solomon's  Seal,  False,  142. 
Sourwood,  161. 
Spikenard,  American,  223. 
Spring  Beauty,  206. 
Spurge,  Flowering,  252. 
Stagger-bush,  235. 
Stagger-weed,  212, 
Star,  Blazing,  84. 
Star-flower,  214. 
Steeple-bush,  86. 
Stenanthium,  Stout,  84. 
Sumac,  Poison,  53. 

"        Smooth  Upland  or  Sc'rl't,  262. 
Sundew,  Round-leaved,  74. 
Sweet-cicely,  Smoother,  194. 

Tea,  New  Jersey,  224. 
Thimble-weed,  210. 
Toothwort,  Cut-leaved,  96. 
Traveller's  Joy,  306. 
Trillium,  Painted,  144. 
Turtle-head,  no. 
Twin-leaf,  213. 

Venus's  Fly-trap,  74. 
Vervain,  W^hite,  315. 
Viburnum,  Maple-leaved,  260. 
Violet,  Canada,  148. 


328 


INDEX  TO  COLOUR. 


Violet,  Lance-leaved,  102. 
"       Sweet  White,  loi. 

Wake-Robin,    Large-flowered,  144. 
Water-arum,  21. 
Water-lily,  White,  24. 
Water-parsnip,  32. 
Water-plantain,  38. 


Whitlow-grass,  Vernal,  236. 
Wind-flower,  208. 
Wintergreen,  Creeping,  166. 

"       "      Round-leaved,  166. 
Wood-sorrel,  200. 

Yarrow,  Common,  322. 


YELLOW  AND  ORANGE. 


Agrimony,  Tall  Hairy,  217. 
Artichoke,  Jerusalem,  317. 
Avens,  Yellow,  53. 

Beech-drops,  False,  170. 
Bellwort,  146. 
Bellwort,  Perfoliate,  148. 
Black-eyed  Susan,  292. 
Bladderwort,  Common,  34. 

*'  Horned,  67. 

Britton's  Cone-flower,  293. 
Butter-and-Eggs,  310. 
Buttercup,  Bulbous,  257. 
"        Meadow,  258. 

Celandine,  276. 
Cinquefoil,  Shrubby,  264. 

"  Silvery,  265. 

"  Rough,  265. 

Clover,  Yellow  Sweet,  312. 
Cow-wheat,  Narrow-leaved,  228. 
Crowfoot,  Yellow  Water,  30. 
Cress,  Winter,  296. 

Dandelion,  287. 

*'  Fall,  287. 

Elecampane,  319. 
Evening-primrose,  Common,  268. 

Five-finger,  262. 
Floating-heart,  41. 
Fly-honeysuckle,  188. 
Foxglove,  Downy  False,  230. 


Foxglove,  Fern-leaf  False,  230. 
"         Smooth  False,  228. 

Ginger,  Wild,  170. 
Goat's  Rue,  240. 
Golden  Club,  22. 
Golden-Rods,  Swamp,  77. 

''  Moist  Soil,  134. 

"  Sandy  Soil,  255. 

**  Dry  Soil,  293. 

Grass,  Water  Star,  33. 

Hedge-hyssop,  112. 
Honeysuckle,  Bush,  190. 

"  Japanese,  190. 

Horse-mint,  248. 

Indian  Cucumber-Root,  143. 

Indian  Poke,  46. 

Indigo,  Wild,  or  False,  241. 

Jev^el-weed,  120. 

"  Pale,  121. 

Lady's  Slipper,  Yellow,  178. 
"  "         Smaller,  178. 

Lettuce,  Wild,  132. 
Lily,  Carolina,  83. 
"    Turk's-cap,  83. 
"    Wild  Yellow,  83. 
Loosestrife,  Bulb-bearing,  93. 
"  Four-leaved,  216. 

"  Fringed,  93. 

**  Lance-leaved,  93. 


Marsh  Marigold,  48. 


INDEX  TO  COLOUR. 


329 


Mullen,  Great,  282. 
Moth,  284. 
Mustard,  Black,  297. 

Nelumbo,  Yellow,  28. 

Orange-grass,  274. 
Orchis,  Yellow-fringed,  65. 
Orpine,  American,  174. 

Painted  Cup,  250. 
Parsnip,  Meadow,  100. 
Partridge  Pea,  244. 
Passion  Flower,  Yellow,  273. 
Poppy,  California,  275. 
"       Celandine,  276. 
Pond-lily,  Yellow,  26. 
Poverty-grass,  234. 
Prickly  Pear,  238. 

Ragwort,  Golden,  288. 
Rattlebox,  241. 
Rattlesnake-weed,  291. 
Rock-rose,  235. 

Senna,  Wild,  242. 
Sneezeweed,  130. 
"        "      Purple-head,  130. 


Solomon's  seal,  142. 
Sorrel,  Yellow  Wood,  305. 
Spearwort,  Water-plantain,  48. 
Spice-bush,  168. 
St.  Andrew's  Cross,  238. 
St.  John's-wort,  Common,  273. 
"       Shrubby,  238. 
"         *'       Smaller,  108. 
St.  Peter's-wort,  236. 
Star-grass,  Yellow,  257. 
Sundrops,  Allen's,  270. 
Sunflower,  Wild,  317. 
Sunflowers,  318. 

Tansy,  319. 
Thistle,  Field  Sow,  292. 
Tick-seed,  288. 
Trumpet-flower,  95. 

Violet,  Dog's-tooth,  82. 
"  Downy  yellow,  212. 

"  Round-leaved,  150. 

Witch-hazel,  201. 
Wood-betony,  226. 

Yellow-adder's  Tongue,  82. 


RED  AND  ORANGE  RED. 


Aquilegia  Truncata,  154. 
Asclepias  lanceolata,  76. 

Baneberry,  Red,  154. 
Beech-drops,  False,  170. 
Buckbean,  70. 
Butterfly-weed,  281. 

Cardinal  Flower,  121. 

"      Monkey-flower,  no. 
Columbine,  153. 

Fire  pink,  218. 

Ground  Ivy,  266. 


Hound's  Tongue,  265. 
Honeysuckle,  Trumpet,  190. 

Lily,  Wood,  140. 

Oswego-Tea,  126. 

Painted  Cup,  250. 
Pennyroyal,  American,  267. 
Pimpernel,  236. 

Trumpet-flower,  95. 

Wake-Robin,  Ill-scented,  146. 
Wood-betony,  226. 


330 


INDEX  TO  COLOUR. 


PINK,  ROSE,  CRIMSON  AND  MAGENTA. 


Andromeda,  Marsh,  57. 
Arbutus,  Trailing,  204. 
Arethusa,  59. 
Azalea,  Smooth, or  Tree,  164. 

Beach  Plum,  232. 
Bindweed,  Field,  302. 

"  Hedge,  302. 

Bitter-bloom,  199. 
Bouncing  Bet,  302. 

"         "      Double,  304. 
Bush-clover,  246. 

Calopogon,  60. 
Calypso,  59. 
Chicory,  324. 
Clover,  Bush,  246. 
Corydalis,  Pale,  176. 
Cranberry,  American,  57. 
Cress,  Bulbous,  96. 

Dogbane,  Spreading,  300. 

Fleabane,  Salt  Marsh,  75. 
Fire-weed,  272. 

Geranium,  Wild  223. 

Hawthorn,  150. 
Herb  Robert,  201. 
Honeysuckle,  Wild,  55. 

Knotweed,  Amphibious,  38. 
"  Sand,  254. 

Larkspur,  Carolina,  212. 
Laurel,  Mountain,  161. 
"        Sheep,  163. 

Mallow,  Musk,  306. 

"        Rose,  69. 
Meadow  Beauty,  112. 


Meadow-sweet,  86. 
Milkweed,  Common,  280. 

"  Swamp,  76. 

Milkwort,  Moss,  65. 
Moccasin  Flower,  17S. 
Moth-Mullen,  284. 

Obedient  Plant,  127. 
Orchis,  Showy,  180. 

Pink,  Ground,  187. 

Wild,  218. 
Pipsissewa,  206. 

"  Spotted,  206. 

Pitcher-plant,  47. 
Polygala,  Fringed,  213. 
Primrose,  Scapose,  270. 
Pyxie,  203. 

Raspberry,  Purple-Flowering,  299. 

Rose,  Swamp,  50. 

Rue,  Early  Meadow,  152. 

Sea-pink,  72. 

Shooting-star,  Colorado,  91. 
Snake-mouth,  62, 
Spring  Beauty,  206. 
Steeple-bush,  88. 
Strophilirion,  138. 
Squirrel  Corn,  176. 
Sweet  William,  Wild,  187. 

Thistle  Bur,  294. 

"  Canada,  295. 

Tick-seed,  Rose-coloured,  290. 
Twin-flower,  192. 

Wax-weed,  Blue,  286. 
Willow  Herb,    Small,  94. 
*'  "       Hairy,  94. 


INDEX  TO  COLOUR. 


331 


PURPLE  AND  LAVENDER, 


Asters,  Swamp,  77. 

*'         Sandy  Soil,  254. 

"  Roadside,  324. 

Avens,  Water,  52. 

Beach  Pea,  244. 
Beard's  Tongue,  Hairy,  196. 
Bergamot,  Wild,  198. 
Butterfly  Pea,  276. 

Calamint,  Carolina,  250. 
Cohosh,  Blue,  77. 
Coral-root,  Striped,  182. 
Corn-cockle,  274. 

Dittany,  American,  316. 
Dwarf-iris,  Crested,  80. 

Flag,  Larger  Blue,  79. 
Fleabane,  Larger  Daisy,  290. 
"         Smaller     ''       291. 

Geranium,  Wild,  223. 
Gerardia,  Purple,  252. 

Hog-Peanut,  314. 

Iron-weed,  320. 

Jacob's  Ladder,  American,  53. 
Jamestown-weed,  Purple,  278. 
Joe-Pye-weed,  134. 

Larkspur,  Tall,  210. 
Lettuce,  Wild,  132. 
Lobelia,  Great,  122. 

'*       Spicata,  124. 
Loosestrife,  Purple  spiked,  98, 

Milkweed,  Ashy,  77. 
Milkwort,  Large-flowered,  1 14. 
Mint,  Wild,  124. 
Monkey-flower,  109. 


Monkshood,  104. 
Motherwort,  Common,  316. 

Nightshade,  106. 

Orchis,  Fringeless  Purple,  64. 

"        Large,  Purple-fringed,  62. 

"        Small,         "         *'        64. 

Passion  Flower,  272. 
Pink,  Ground,  187. 

"    Swamp,  46. 
Phlox,  Wild,  187. 
Plantain,  Robin's,  290. 
Polygala,  Purple,  114. 
Psoralea,  Round-leaved,  124. 

Rue,  Purplish  Meadow,  152. 

Sea  Lavender,  70. 
Self-heal,  316. 

Shooting  Star,  Colorado,  91. 
Skullcap,  Hyssop,  246. 
St.  John's-wort,  Marsh,  67. 
Star,  Blazing,  294. 

"     Scaly  Blazing,  294. 
Stokesia,  Blue,  132. 

Thyme,  Creeping,  315. 
Tick-trefoil,  Prostrate,  224. 
Toothwort,  Cut-leaved,  96. 
Turtle-head,  Purple, 
Twisted  Stalk,  140. 

Verbena,  Large-flowered,  268. 
Vetch,  American,  312. 
Violet,  Common  Blue,  258. 
*'        Pedata  bicolor,  234. 

Water-shield,  24. 
Wood-betony,  226. 
Wood-sorrel,  Violet,  200. 


332 


INDEX  TO  COLOURS. 


BLUE. 


Aster,  Pale  Blue,  325. 

Bellflower,  Panicled,  148. 
Tall  Wild,  91. 
Bluebells,  90. 
Blue-curls,  248. 
Blue-eyed  Mary,  108. 
Bluets,  97. 
Brooklime,  American,  41. 

Clematis,  Marsh,  67. 

Chicory,  324. 

Columbine,  Long-spurred,  154. 

Day  Flower,  Common,  116. 
Slender,  116. 

Forget-me-not,  Smaller,  88. 

Gentian,  Closed,  128. 

Fringed,  128. 

Stiff,  199. 
Grass,  Pointed  Blue-eyed,  80. 

Harebell,  Common,  90. 
Hepatica,  207. 

Indian  Tobacco,  274. 
Ivy,  Ground,  266. 


Larkspur,  Carolina,  212. 

"  Dwarf,  212. 

«  Tall,  210. 

Lobelia,  Southern,  75. 
Lupine,  Wild,  240. 

Pennyroyal,  American,  267. 
Phlox,  Wild,  187. 
Pickerel-weed,  32. 
Pimpernel,  236. 

RuELLiA,  Smooth,  177. 

Simpler's  Joy,  314. 
Speedwell,  Common,  308. 

"  Thyme-leaved,  310. 

Spiderwort,  118. 
Skullcap,  Mad  Dog,  126. 

"         Hyssop,  246. 
Stagger-weed,  212. 
Stokesia,  Blue,  132. 

Toad-flax,  Blue  or  Wild,  310. 
"  Pale  Blue,  311. 

Vetch,  Blue,  3x2. 
Violet,  Bird's-Foot,  232. 
Viper's-bugloss,  266. 
Venus's  Looking-glass,  297. 

Water-hyacinth,  33. 


Carrion-flower,  too. 
Cohosh,  Blue,  177. 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  137. 

Milkwort,  Moss,  65. 


GREEN. 

Orchis,  Great  Green,  180. 

Pitcher-plant,  47. 
Polygala,  Purple,  114, 

Skunk  Cabbage,  43. 

Wintergreen,  Serrated,  166. 


Index  to  English  Names. 


Abronia,  White,  194. 
Adam's  Needle,  231. 
Adder's  Tongue,  White,  82. 
Agrimony,  Tall  Hairy,  217. 
Alder,  White,  308. 
Andromeda,  Marsh,  57. 
Anemone,  Rue,  210. 
Apple,  May,  214. 

"      Mock,  106. 

"      Wild  Balsam,  106. 
Arbutus,  Trailing,  204. 
Arethusa,  59. 
Arrow-head,  36. 
Arrow-wood,  260. 
Artichoke,  Jerusalem,  317. 
Asters,  Swamp,  77. 

"       Sandy  Soil,  254. 
"       Roadside,  324. 
Avens,  Purple,  52. 

"       Water,  52. 
White,  217. 

"       Yellow,  53. 
Azalea,  Clammy,  55. 

*'        Pink,  55. 

'•'        Smooth  or  Tree,  164. 

Baneberry,  Red,  154. 
White,  154. 
Bayonet,  Spanish,  231. 
Bay,  Sweet,  69. 
Beach  Pea,  244. 

"  Plum,  232. 
Bean,  Sacred,  28. 
Beard's  Tongue,  Hairy,  196. 

<<  "  White,  196. 


Bee  Balm,  126. 
Beech-drops,  False,  170. 
Bellflower,  Tall  Wild,  91. 

"  Panicled,  148. 

Bellwort,  146. 

"        Perfoliate,  148. 
Benjamin-bush,  168. 
Bergamot,  Wild,  198. 
Bind-weed,  Field,  302. 

*'  Hedge,  302. 

Birthroot,  146. 
Bishop's  Cap,  158. 
Bishop-weed,  Mock,  loi. 
Bitter-bloom,  199. 
Bitter  Sweet,  106. 
"         "       298. 
Black-eyed  Susan,  292. 
Black-haw,  261. 
Black-root,  198. 
Bladderwort,  Common,  34. 

Horned,  67. 
Blood-root,  186. 
Bluebells,  90. 
Blue-curls,  248. 
Blue-eyed  Mary,  108. 
Bluets,  97. 
Blueweed,  266. 
Boneset,  322. 
Bouncing  Bet,  302. 

"  "     Double,  305. 

Brooklime,  American,  41. 
Buckbean,  70. 
Bugbane,  156. 
Bugloss,  Viper's,  266. 
Bunch-berry,  158. 
Bush-clover,  246. 


334 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 


Butter-and-Eggs,  310. 
Buttercup,  Bulbous,  257. 

"  Tall  or  Meadow,  258. 

Butterfly  Pea,  276. 
Butterfly-weed,  281. 
Button-bush,  97. 

Calamint,  Carolina,  250. 
Calico-bush,  161. 
Calla,  Wild,  21. 
Calopogon,  60. 
Calypso,  59. 
Campion,  Starry,  220. 
Candle-tree,  196. 
Cardinal  Flower,  121. 

"  "        Blue,  122. 

Carrion-flower,  100. 
Carrot,  Wild,  281. 
Catalpa,  196. 
Cat-brier,  loo. 
"         298. 
Cassandra,  Dwarf,  97. 
Catchfly,  Virginia,  218. 
Cat-gut,  240, 
Cat's-foot,  Smaller,  288. 
Celandine,  276. 
Chamomile,  320. 
Checkerberry,  166. 
Chicory,  324. 
Chinquepin,  Water,  28. 
Chokeberry,  50. 
Choke-cherry,  86. 
Cicely,  Smoother  Sweet,  194. 
Cinquefoil,  Common,  262. 
"  Rough,  265. 

"  Shrubby,  264. 

*'         Silvery  or  Hoary,  265. 
Clematis,  Marsh,  67. 
Clover,  Yellow  Sweet,  312. 
"       White  Sweet,  312. 
Club,  Golden,  22. 
Cohosh,  Black,  156. 

"        Blue,  177. 
Columbine,  153. 

"  Long-spurred,  154. 

Cone-flower,  292. 


Cone-flower,  Britton's,  293. 
Coral-root,  182. 

"  Striped,  182. 

Corn-cockle,  274. 
Corn-rose,  274. 
Cornel,  Dwarf,  158. 
Cornel,  Panicled,  95. 
Corpse  Plant,  168. 
Corydalis,  Pale,  176. 
Cowbane,  Spotted,  30. 
Cowslip,  American,  91. 

"         Virginia,  90. 
Cow-wheat,  Narrow-leaved,  228. 
Cranberry,  American,  57. 

*'  Tree,  118. 

Cranesbill,  Wild,  223. 
Creeper,  Virginia,  300. 
Cress,  Bulbous,  96. 
"      Winter,  296. 
Crinkle-root,  184. 
Crinum,  American,  44. 
Crowfoot,  Yellow  Water,  30. 

"         Common  White  Water,  30. 
Culver's  Root,  198. 
Cuphea,  Clammy,  286. 
Cypress-vine,  302. 

Daisy,  English,  291. 
"      Ox-eyed,  291. 
"      White,  291. 
Dalibarda,  150. 
Dandelion,  287. 

Fall,  287. 
Day  Flower,  Common,  116. 

"         ''        Slender,  116. 
Deer  Grass,  112. 
Devil's  Bit,  84, 
Dittany,  American,  316. 
Dodder,  Common,  278. 
Dockmaxie,  260. 
Dock,  Spatter,  26. 

"     Velvet  or  Mullen,  282. 
Dogbane,  Spreading,  300. 
Dogwood,  Flowering,  160. 
''  Panicled,  95. 

"  Round-leaved,  160. 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 


335 


Dogwood,  Wild  Red-osier,  95. 
Dragon  Head,  False,  127. 
Dutchman's  Breeches,  174. 
Dwarf-iris,  Crested,  80. 
Dyer's-weed,  293. 

Elder,  120. 

"      Poison,  53. 
Elderberry,  120. 
Elecampane,  319. 
Evening-primrose,  Common,  268. 
Everlasting,  Mouse-ear,  287. 

"  Plaintain-leaf,  287. 

Fever-bush,  168. 
Fire-weed,  272. 
Five-finger,  262. 
Flag,  Larger  Blue,  79. 
Fleabane,  Larger  Daisy,  290. 

"         Smaller  Daisy,  291. 

"         Salt-marsh,  75. 
Fleur-de-lis,  79. 
Floating-heart,  41. 
Fly-honeysuckle,  188. 
Foam  Flower,  158. 
Forget-me-not,  Smaller,  88. 
Foxglove,  Downy  False,  230. 

"       Fern-leaf    or     Lousewort 
False,  230. 

"       Smooth  False,  228. 
Friar's  Cap,  104. 
Fringe  Tree,  Common,  94. 
Frost-weed,  235. 
Fuller's  Herb,  302. 

Gentian,  Closed,  128. 

"       Five-flowered,  199. 

"       Fringed,  128. 

"       Stiff,  199. 

"       Striped,  286. 
Geranium,  Wild,  223. 
Gerardia,  Purple,  252. 
Ghost  Flower,  168. 
Gill-over-the-ground,  266. 
Ginger,  Wild,  170. 
Ginseng,  Dwarf,  220. 

"         Five-leaved,  222. 


Globe  Flower,  97. 
Goat's  Rue,  240. 
Golden  Cups,  257, 
Golden-rods,  Swamp,  77. 

"         "      Moist  Soil,  134. 

"         "      Sandy  Soil,  255. 
"      Dry  Soil,  293. 
Gold  Thread,  50. 
Grass,  Pointed  Blue-eyed,  80. 

"      Water  Star,  23- 
Green-brier,  298. 
Ground-nut,  220. 
Guelder-rose,  Wild,  118. 

Hardhack,  88. 
Harebell,  Common,  90. 
Hawkweed,  291. 

"  Green's,  292, 

Hawthorn,  150. 
Heal-all,  316. 
Heather,  False,  234. 
Hedge-hyssop,  112. 
Hellebore,  False,  46. 
Hemlock,  Water,  30. 
Hepatica,  207. 
Herb  Robert,  201. 
Hobble-bush,  188. 
Hog-peanut,  314, 
Honey-balls,  97. 
Honeysuckle,  Bush,  190. 

"  Japanese,  190. 

"  Trumpet,  190. 

"  White  Swamp,  55. 

"  Wild,  55. 

Hound's  Tongue,  265. 
Horse-brier,  298. 
Horse-mint,  248. 
Houseleek,  172. 
Huntsman's-cup,  47. 

Indian  Bean,  196. 

*'      Cucumber-root,  143. 

-      Fig,  238. 
Indian-pipe,  168. 

"      Plant,  1S6. 

"      Poke,  46. 


336 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 


Indian  Tobacco,  274. 

"      Turnip,  137. 
Indigo,  Wild  or  False,  241. 
Innocence,  108. 
Iron-weed,  320. 
Ivy,  American,  300. 

♦'    Ground,  266. 

"    Poison,  261. 

Jack-in-the-pulpit,  137. 
Jacob's  Ladder,  American,  53. 
Jamestown-weed,  278. 
Jewel-weed,  120. 

"         "      Pale,  121. 
Joe-Pye-weed,  134. 
Jointweed,  Coast,  254. 
June-berry,  256. 

Knotweed,  Amphibious,  38. 
"  Sand,  254. 

Lady's  Tresses,  Slender,  284. 
"       Slipper,  Pink,  178. 
"  "        Showy,  60. 

"  "        Smaller,  178. 

«  "        Yellow,  178. 

Lambkin,  163. 
Larkspur,  Carolina,  212. 
"  Dwarf,  212. 

"  Tall,  210. 

Laurel,  Great,  163. 
"       Ground,  204. 
"        Mountain,  161. 
*'        Sheep,  163. 
Leather-leaf,  97. 
Lettuce,  Wild,  132. 
Lily,  Carolina,  83. 
''      Meadow,  83. 
"      Turk's-cap,  83. 
"     Wild  Red,  140. 
"     Wild  Yellow,  83. 
**      Wood,  140. 
Lily-of-the- Valley,  False,  143. 
Live-for-ever,  174. 
Liver-leaf,  207. 
Lizard's  Tail,  55. 


Lobelia,  Blue,  124 
*'         Great,  122. 
"         Southern,  75. 
Loosestrife,  Bulb-bearing,  93. 

"  Four-leaved,  216. 

"  Fringed,  93. 

**  Lance-leaved,  93. 

"  Purple  Spiked,  98 . 

Lousewort,  226. 
Love  Vine,  278. 
Lungwort,  90. 
Lupine,  Wild,  240. 

Magnolia,  Small,  69. 
Mallow,  Marsh,  70. 

"         Musk,  306. 

"        Rose,  69. 

"         Swamp,  69. 
Mandrake,  Wild,  214. 
Marsh-mallow,  70. 
Marsh  Marigold,  48. 
Mayflower,  204. 
Mayweed,  320. 
Meadow  Beauty,  112. 
Meadow-sweet,  86. 
Melilot,  White,  312. 

"        Yellow,  312. 
Milfoil,  322. 
Milkweed,  Ashy,  77. 

"  Common,  280, 

"  Swamp,  76. 

Milkwort,  Large-Flowered,  114. 

"  Moss,  65. 

Mint,  Stone,  316. 
"      Wild,  124. 
Mitre-wort,  158. 

False,  158. 
Moccasin  Flower,  178. 
Monkey-flower,  109. 

*'  "      Cardinal,  1 10. 

Monkshood,  104. 
Moss,  Flowering,  203. 
Motherwort,  Common,  316. 
Moth-mullen,  284. 
Mullen,  Great,  282. 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 


337 


Mustard,  Black,  297. 
'♦        White,  297. 

Nelumbo,  Yellow,  28. 
Nevins's  Stone  Crop,  172. 
Nightshade,  106. 

'•  Enchanter's,  305. 

Nymph,  Water,  24. 

Obedient  Plant,  127. 
Oak,  Poison,  261. 
Orange-grass,  274. 
Orchis,  Fringeless  Purple,  64. 

"       Great  Green,  180. 

"       Large  Purple-fringed,  62. 

"       Small,        "  "       64. 

"       Showy,  180. 

"       White-fringed,  65. 

"       Yellow-fringed,  65. 
Orpine,  American,  174. 
Oswego-tea,  126. 

Painted  Cup,  250. 
Parsnip,  Meadow,  lOO. 
Partridge  Pea,  244. 

'•  Vine,  216. 

Passion  Flower,  272. 

*'  "        Yellow,  273. 

Pennyroyal,  American,  267. 

*'  Bastard,  248. 

Pepperbush,  Mountain  Sweet,  308. 

"  Sweet,  308. 

Pepper-root,  96. 

184. 
Phlox,  Wild,  187. 
Pickerel-weed,  32. 
Pigeon-berry,  311. 
Pimpernel,  236. 
Pine  Sap,  170. 
Pine-weed,  274. 
Pink,  Fire,  218. 

"      Grass,  60. 

"      Ground  or  Moss,  187. 

"      Swamp,  46 

"      Wild,  218. 
Pinxter  Flower,  55. 
Pipsissewa,  206. 


Pipsissewa,  Spotted,  206. 
Pitcher-plant,  47. 
Plantain,  Rattlesnake,  184. 

••         Robin's    or    Poor    Robin's, 

290. 
Pleurisy-root,  281. 
Pokeweed,  311. 
Polygala,  Fringed,  213. 

"  Purple,  114. 

Pond-lily,  Yellow,  26. 
Poppy,  California,  275. 
"       Celandine,  276. 
Poverty-grass,  234. 
Prickly-pear,  238. 
Primrose,  Scapose,  270. 
Prince's  Pine,  206. 
Psoralea,  Round-leaved,  124. 
Puppet-root,  46. 
Pyxie,  203. 

Quaker  Ladies,  97. 
Queen  Anne's  Lace,  281. 
Queen-of-the-Meadows,  86. 

Ragwort,  Golden,  288. 
Raspberry,  Purple-flowering,  299. 
Rattlebox,  241. 
Rattlesnake  Grass,  122. 
"        Weed,  291. 
Red-root,  224. 
Rheumatism-root,  213. 
Rhododendron,  Great,  163. 
River-bush,  97. 
Rock-Cress,  Hairy,   186. 
Rocket,  Yellow,  296. 
Rock-rose,  235. 
Rose-bay,  American,  163. 
Rose,  Early  White,  152. 

"      Marsh  Holy,  57. 

"      Pink,  199. 

**      Pogonia,  62. 

**      Swamp,  50. 
Rosemary,  Marsh,  70. 

Wild,  57. 
Rue,  Early  Meadow,  152. 

"     Purplish,  152. 

"     Tall  Meadow,  102. 
Ruellia,  Smooth,  177. 


338 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 


Sarsaparilla,  Wild,  222. 
Saxifrage,  liarly,  156. 
Scabious,  Sweet,  290. 
Scarlet  Berry,  106. 
Sea  Lavender,  70. 
Sea-pink,  72. 
Self-heal,  316. 
Senna,  Wild,  242. 
Sensitive  Plant,  Large,  244. 
Service-berry,  256. 
Shad-bush,  256. 
Shepherd's-purse,  297. 
Shin-leaf,  164. 

Shooting-star,  Colorado,  91. 
Sidalcea,  White-fiowered,  108. 
Sidesaddle-flower,  47. 
Silkweed,  280. 
Silver-rod,  136. 
Simpler's  Joy,  314. 
Skullcap,  Hairy,  248. 

"         Hyssop,  246. 

*'         Mad  Dog,  126. 
Skunk  Cabbage,  43. 
Snake-head,  no. 
Snake-mouth,  62, 
Snakeroot,  Black,  156. 
Sneezeweed,  130. 

"         Purple-head,  130. 
Snowberry,  Creeping,  56. 
Snowdrop  Tree,  Four-winged,  84. 
Soapwort,  302. 
Soldiers'  Caps,  174. 
Solomon's  Seal,  142. 

"  "     False,  142. 

"  "     Two-leaved,  143. 

Sorrel,  Yellow  Wood,  305, 

"      Lady's,  305. 
Sorrel-tree,  161. 
Sourwood,  161. 

Spearwort,  Water-plaintain,  48. 
Speedwell,  Common,  308. 

"  Thyme-leaved,  310. 

Spice-bush,  168. 
Spiderwort,  118. 
Spikenard,  American,  223. 


Spikenard,  Wild,  142. 

Spoonwood,  161. 

Spring  Beauty,  206. 

Spurge,  Plovvering,  252. 

Squaw-weed,  288. 

Squirrel  Corn,  176. 

St.  Andrew's  Cross,  238. 

St.  John's-wort,  Common,  273. 

"  "      Marsh,  67. 

"  ''      Shrubby,  238. 

"  "      Smaller,  io8. 

St.  Peter's-wort,  236. 
Stag-bush,  261. 
Stagger-bush,  235. 
Stagger-weed,   212. 
Star,  Blazing,  84. 
''  "        294. 

Star,  Scaly  Blazing,  294. 
Star-FIower,  214. 
Star-grass,  Yellow,  257. 
Starwort,  Drooping,  84. 
Steeple-bush,  88. 
Stenanthium,  Stout,  84. 
Stokesia,  Blue,  132. 
Strophilirion,  138. 
Succory,  324. 
Sumac,    Poison,  53. 
Sumac,  Smooth  Upland   or  Scarlet, 

262. 
Sundew,  Round-leaved,  74. 
Sundrops,  Allen's,  270. 
Sunflower,  Wild,  317. 
"      317. 

*'  Swamp,  130. 

Sweet-cicely,  Smoother,  194- 
Sweet  Pea,  Wild,  240. 
Sweet  William,  Wild,  187. 

Tansy,  319. 

Tea,  Mountain,  166. 

"     New  Jersey,  224. 
Thimble-weed,  210. 
Thistle,  Burr,  294- 
''         Canada,  295. 
"        Field  Sow,  292. 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 


339 


Thistle,  Spear,  294. 
Thorn  Apple,  278. 
'*      Dwarf,  150. 
"     Scarlet-fruited,  150. 
Thoroughwort,  322. 
Thyme,  Creeping,  315. 
Tick-seed,  288. 
Tickseed,  Rose-coloured,  290. 
Tick-trefoil,  Prostrate,  224. 
Toadflax,  Blue  or  Wild,  310. 

"        Pale  Blue,  311. 

"        Yellow,  310. 
Toothwort,  184. 

"  Cut-leaved,  96. 

Touch-Me-Not,  120. 
Traveller's  Joy,  306. 
Trillium,  Painted,  144. 
Trumpet-creeper,  95. 
Trumpet-flower,  95. 
Trumpet-weed,  134. 
Turtle-head,  no. 
Twin-flower,  192. 
Twin-leaf,  213. 
Twisted  Stalk,  140. 

Venus's  Fly-Trap,  74. 

**         Looking-glass,  297. 

«  "  "      Small,  298. 

Verbena,  Large-flowered,  268. 
Vervain,  Blue,  314. 

"       White,  315. 
Vetch,  American,  314. 

"        Blue,  312. 
Viburnum,  Maple-leaved,  260. 
Violet,  Bird's-foot,  232. 

"      Canada,  148. 

*'      Coast,  234. 

"      Common  Blue,  258, 

"      Dog's-tooth,  82. 

"     Downy  Yellow,  212. 


Violet,  Lance-leaved,  102. 

**      Round-leaved,  150. 

"      Sweet  White,  loi. 
Viper's  Bugloss,  266. 
Virgin's  Bower,  306. 

Wake-Robin,  Large-flowered,  144. 

"  "  Ill-scented,  146. 

Water-arum,  21. 

"     Hemlock,  30. 
Water-hyacinth,  23- 
Water-lily,  white,  24. 
Water-parsnip,  32. 
Water-plaintain,  38. 
Water-shield,  24. 
Wax-weed,  Blue,  286. 
Wax-work,  298. 

Wayfaring-tree,  American,  188. 
Weather-glass,  Poor  Man's  or  Shep- 
herd's, 236. 
White  Hearts,  174. 
*'      Weed,  291. 
Whitlow-grass,  Vernal,  236. 
Wicky,  163. 

Willow-herb,  Great  or  Spiked,  272. 
"  ''      Hairy,  94. 

"  "      Small,  94. 

Wind-flower,  208. 
Wintergreen,  Creeping,  166. 
'*  Flowering,  213. 

"  Round-leaved,  166. 

"  Serrated,  166. 

Witch-hazel,  201. 
Wolf's  Bane,  104. 
Wood-sorrel,  200. 

"  "      Violet,  200. 

Wood-anemone,  20S. 
Wood-betony,  226. 

Yarrow,  Common,  322. 
Yellow-adder's  Tongue,  82. 


Index  to  Latin  Names. 


Abronia  fragrans,  194. 
Achillea  Millefolium,  322. 
Aconitum  uncinatum,  104, 
Actaea  alba,  154. 

*'       rubra,  154. 
Agrimonia  hirsuta,  217. 
Agrostemma  Githago,  274. 
Alisma  Plantago-aquatica,  38. 
Althaea  officinalis,  70. 
Amelanchier  Canadensis,  256. 

"  alnifolia,  257. 

Anagallis  arvensis,  236. 

"         Staus,  236. 
Andromeda  polifolia,  57. 
Anemone  pavonina,  208. 

"         quinquefolia,  208. 

"         ranunculoides,  208. 

"         Virginiana,  210. 
Antennaria  neodioica,  288. 

"  plantaginifolia,  287. 

Anthemis  Cotula,  320. 
Apocynum  androsaemifolium,  30a 
Aquilegia  caerulea,  154. 

"         Canadensis,  153. 

"         truncata,  154. 
Arabis  hirsuta,  186. 
Aralia  nudicaulis,  222. 
"      racemosa,  223. 
Arethusa  bulbosa,  59. 
Arisaema  triphyllum,  137. 
Aronia  arbutifolia,  50. 
Asarum  Canadense,  170. 
Asclepias  cinerea,  77. 

*'        incarnata,  76. 


Asclepias  lanceolata,  76. 
"         Syriaca,  280. 
"         tuberosa,  281. 
Ascyrum  hypericoides,  238. 
Aster  cordifolius,  325. 

"     divaricatus,  325. 

*'      ericoides,  325. 

*'      gracilis,  255. 

"      laevis,  325. 

"      multiflorus,  255. 

"     nemoralis,  78. 

*'     Novas-Angliae,  77. 

"      patens,  325. 

"      puniceus,  78. 

"      spectabilis,  255. 

"     surculosus,  255. 
Azalea  arborescens,  164. 

"       nudiflora,  55. 

"       viscosa,  55. 

Baptisia  tinctoria,  241. 
Barbarea  Barbarea,  296, 
Batrachium  trichophyllum,  30. 
Bellise-perennis,  291. 
Benzoin  Benzoin,  168. 
Bicuculla  Canadensis,  176. 
"        Cucullaria,  174. 
Brasenia  purpurea,  24. 
Brassica  nigra,  297. 
Bursa  Bursa-pastoris,  297. 

Calamintha  Caroliniana,  25a 
Calla  palustris,  21. 
Caltha  palustris,  48. 
Calypso  bulbosa,  59. 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES. 


341 


Campanula  Americana,  91. 
*'  divaricata,  148. 

"  rotundifolia,  90. 

Capnoides  sempervirens,  176. 
Cardamine  bulbosa,  96. 
Carduus  arvensis,  295. 

"        lanceolatus,  294, 
Cassia  Chamaecrista,  244. 

"      Marilandica,  242. 
Castalia  odorata,  24. 
Castilleja  coccinea,  250. 
Catalpa  Catalpa,  196. 
Caulophyllum  thalictroides,  177. 
Ceanothus  Americanus,  224. 
Celastrus  scandens,  29S. 
Cephalanthus  occidentalis,  97. 
Chamaedaphne  calyculata,  97, 
Chamaelirium  luteum,  84. 
Chamaenerion  augustifolium,  272. 
Chelidonium  majus,  276. 
Chelone  glabra,  no. 

"       Lyoni,  112. 
Chimaphila  maculata,  206. 
''  umbellata,  206. 

Chiogenes  hispidula,  56. 
Chionanthus  Virginica,  94. 
Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum,  291. 
Cichorium  Intybus,  324. 
Cicuta  maculata,  30. 
Cimicifuga  racemosa,  156, 
Circaea  Lutetiana,  305. 
Claytonia  Virginica,  206. 
Clematis  crispa,  67. 

'*        Virginiana,  306. 
Clethra  acuninata,  308. 

"       alnifolia,  308. 
Clitoria  Mariana,  276. 
Collinsia  verna,  108. 
Commelina  erecta,  116. 

"  Virginica,  116. 

Convolvulus  arvensis,  302. 

"  sepium,  302. 

Coptis  trifolia,  50. 
Corallorhiza  Multiflora,  182. 
"  striata,  182. 


Coreopsis  lanceolata,  288. 

"  rosea,  290. 

Cornus  Canadensis,  158. 
"       candidissima,  95. 
"       circinata,  160. 
"       florida,  160. 
"      stolonifera,  95. 
Cracca  Virginiana,  240. 
Crataegus  coccinea,  150. 
"         uniflora,  150. 
Crinum  Americanum,  44. 
Crotallaria  rotundifolia,  242. 

"  sagittalis,  241. 

Cunila  origanoides,  316. 
Cuscuta  Gronovii,  278. 
Cynoglossum  officinale,  265. 
Cypripedium  acaule,  178. 

"  hirsutum,  178. 

"  parviflorum,  178. 

"  reginae,  60. 

Dalibarda  repens,  150. 
Dasystoma  flava,  230. 

"  Pedicularia,  230. 

"  Virginica,  228. 

Datura  Stramonium,  278. 

"      Tatula,  278. 
Daucus  Carrota,  281. 
Delphinium  Ajacis,  212. 

"  Carolinianum,  212. 

"  tricorne,  212. 

"  urceolatum,  210. 

Dentaria  diphylla,  184. 
"        laciniata,  96. 
Diervilla  Diervilla,  190. 
Dionaea  muscipula,  74, 
Dodecatheon  Meadia  frigidum,  91. 
Doellingeria  umbellata,  78. 
Draba  verna,  236. 
Drosera  rotundifolia,  74. 

ECHIUM  VULGARE,  266. 

Epigsea  repens,  204. 
Epilobium  coloratum,  94. 
"  hirsutum,  94. 


342 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES. 


Erigeron  annuus,  290. 
"        pulchellus,  290. 
"         ramosus,  291. 
Erythroniura  Americanum,  82. 

"  albidum,  82. 

Eschscholtzia  Californica,  275. 

"  caespitosa,  276. 

Eupatorium  perfoliatum,  322. 
"  purpureum,  134. 

Euphorbia  corollata,  252. 

Falcata  comosa,  314. 

Gaultheria  procumbens,  166. 
Gaultheria  Shallon,  168. 
Gentiana  Andrewsii,  128. 

"         crinita,  128. 

"        quinquefolia,  199. 

"        villosa,  286. 
Geranium  maculatum,  223. 

"  Robertianum,  201. 

Gerardia  maritima,  252. 

"         purpurea,  252. 
Geum  Canadense,  217. 
"      rivale,  52. 
"      strictum,  53. 
Glecoma  hederacea,  266. 
Gratiola  aurea,  112. 
Gyrostachys  cernua,  2S6. 
"  gracilis,  284. 

Habenaria  blephariglottis,  65. 

"  ciliaris,  65. 

**  grandiflora,  62. 

"  orbiculata,  180. 

**  peramoena,  64 

**  psycodes,  64. 

Hamamelis  Virginiana,  201. 
Hedeoma  pulegioides,  267. 
Helenium  autumnale,  130. 
"        nudiflorum,  130. 
Helianthemum  Canadense,  235. 
Helianthus  annus,  318. 

**  divaricatus,  318. 

"  giganteus,  317. 

"  mollis,  318. 


Helianthus  tuberosus,  317. 
Helonias  bullata,  46. 
Hepatica  Hepatica,  207. 
Heteranthera  dubia,  23- 
Hibiscus  Moscheutos,  69. 
Hieracium  Greenii,  292, 

"  venosum,  291. 

Houstonia  caerulea,  97. 
Hudsonia  tomentosa,  234. 
Hypericum  adpressum,  108. 

"  ellipticura,  108. 

"  maculatum,  108. 

"  mutilum,  108. 

"  perforatum,  273. 

*'  prolificum,  238. 

Hypopitys  Hypopitys,  170. 
Hjrpoxis  hirsuta,  257. 

Impatiens  aurea,  121. 
"  biflora,  120. 

Inula  Helenium,  319. 
Iris  cristata,  80. 
"    versicolor,  79. 

Jeffersonia  diphylla,  213. 

Kalmia  angustifolia,  163. 

"       latifolia,  161. 
Kneiffia  Alleni,  270. 

Lactuca  Canadensis,  132. 
Lacinaria  scariosa,  294. 

"  squarrosa,  294. 
Lathyrus  maritimus,  244. 
Leontodon  autumnale,  2S7. 
Leonurus  Cardiaca,  316. 
Lespedeza  capitata,  246. 
"  frutescens,  246. 

"  procumbens,  246. 

"  Virginica,  246. 

Lilium  Canadense,  S^- 
"       Carolinianum,  S^- 
"      Catesbaei,  140. 
"       Philadelphicum,  140. 
"      superbum,  83. 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES. 


343 


Limnanthemum  lacunosum,  41. 
Limodorum  tuberosum,  60. 
Limonium  Carolinianuin,  70. 
Linaria  Canadensis,  310, 

"         Linaria,  310. 

'*         repens,  311. 
Linnaea  borealis,  192. 
Lobelia  amoena,  75. 

"         rardinalis,  121. 

*'        inflata,  274. 

"        spicata,  124. 

"         syphilitica,  122. 
Lonicera  ciliata,  188. 

"  Japonica,  190. 

"  sempervirens,  190. 

Lupinus  perennis,  240. 

*'         villosus,  241. 
Lysimachia  quadrifolia,  216. 

"  terrestris,  93. 

Lythrum  Salicaria,  98. 

Magnolia  Virginiana,  69. 
Malva  moschata,  306. 
Medeola  Virginiana,  143. 
Melampyrum  lineare,  228. 
Melilotus  alba,  312. 

*'         officinalis,  312. 
Meibomia  Canadensis,  226. 

''         grandiflora,  226. 

"         Michauxii,  224. 

*'         nudiflora,  226. 
Mentha  Canadensis,  124. 
Menyanthes  trifoliata,  70. 
Mertensia  Virginica,  90. 
Micrampelis  lobata,  106. 
Mimulus  cardinalis,  no. 

"         ringens,  109. 
Mitchella  repens,  216. 
Mitella  diphylla,  158. 
Mohrodendron  Carolinum,  84. 
Monarda  didyma,  126. 
"        fistulosa,  198. 
"        punctata,  248. 
Monotropa  uniflora,  168. 
Myosotis  laxa,  88. 


Nelumbo  lutea,  28. 
Nymphaea  advena,  26. 

Onagra  biennis,  268. 
Opuntia  humifusa,  238. 

"         Opuntia,  240. 
Orchis  spectabilis,  180. 
Orontium  aquaticum,  22. 
Oxalis  Acetosella,  200. 

"      stricta,  305. 

'*      violacea,  200. 
Oxycoccus  macrocarpus,  57. 
Oxydendrum  arboreum,  161. 

Pachylophus  c^spitosus,  270. 
Panax  quinquefolium,  222. 

"     trifolium,  220. 
Panicularia  Canadensis,  122. 
Parsonsia  petiolata,  286. 
Parthenocissus  quinquefolia,  300. 
Passiflora  incarnata,  272. 

"  lutea,  273. 

Pedicularis  Canadensis,  226. 
Pentstemon  Digitalis,  196. 
'*  hirsutus,  196. 

"  Newberryi,  198. 

Peranium  pubescens,  184. 

"         repens,  184. 
Phlox  divaricata,  187. 
"      maculata,  187. 
"       subulata  187. 
Physostegia  Virginiana,  127. 
Phytolacca  decandra,  311. 
Piaropus  crassipes,  ^3' 
Pieris  Mariana,  235. 
Pluchea  camphorata,  715. 
Poa  pratensis,  258. 
Podophyllum  peltatum,  214. 
Pogonia  ophioglossoides,  62. 
Polemonium  Van  Bruntiae,  53. 
Polygala  cruciata,  65. 
"        grandiflora,  114. 
*'        paucifolia,  213. 
"        polygama,  213. 
"        viridescens,  114. 
Polygonella  articulata,  254. 


344 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES. 


Polygonatum  biflorutn,  142. 
Polygonum  amphibium,  38. 
Pontederia  cordata,  32. 
Potentilla  argentea,  265. 
"         Canadensis,  262. 
"         fruticosa,  264. 
"  Monspeliensis,  265. 

Prunella  vulgaris,  316. 
Prunus  maritima,  232. 

"       Virginiana,  86. 
Psoralea  orbicularis,  124. 
Ptilimnium  capillaceum,  loi. 
Pyrola  elliptica,  164. 

"     rotundifolia,  166. 

"      secunda,  166. 
Pyxidanthera  barbulata,  203. 

quamoclitcoccinea,  302. 

Ranunculus  acris,  258. 

"  bulbosus,  257. 

•'  delphinifolius,  30. 

"  obtusiusculus,  48. 

Rhexia  Virginica,  112. 
Rhododendron  maximum,  163. 
Rhus  glabra,  262. 
"      radicans,  261. 
"      Toxicodendron,  261. 
"      vernix,  53. 
Ricinus  communis,  254. 
Rosa  blanda,  152. 
"     Carolina,  50. 
Rubus  occidentalis,  299. 
"       odoratus,  299. 
"       strigosus,  299. 
Rudbeckia  Brittonii,  293. 

"  hirta,  292. 

Ruellia  strepens,  177. 

Sabbatia  angularis,  199. 

"  campanulata,  72. 

"  dodecaudra,  72. 

"  stellaris,  72. 

Sagittaria  lancifolia,  38. 

"         latifolia,  36. 
Sambucus  Canadensis,  120. 
Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  186. 
Saponaria  officionalis,  302. 


Sarothra  gentianoides,  274. 
Sarracenia  purpurea,  47. 
Saururus  cernuus,  55. 
Saxifraga  Virginiensis,  156. 
Scutellaria  galericulata,  127. 
*'  integrifolia,  246. 

'*  lateriflora,  126. 

**  pilosa,  248. 

Sedum  Nevii,  172. 

"       telephioides,  174. 
Senecio  aureus,  288. 
Septandra  Virginica,  198. 
Sidalcea  Candida,  108. 
Silene  Caroliniana,  218. 
"      stellata,  220. 
"      Virginica,  218. 
Sinapis  alba,  297. 
Sisyrinchium  angustifolium,  80. 
Slum  cicutaefolium,  32. 
Smilax  herbacea,  100. 

"         rotundifolia,  298. 
Solanum  dulcamara,  106. 
Solidago  arguta,  134. 
"         bicolor,  136. 
'*         Canadensis,  293. 
"         fistulosa,  136. 
"        juncea,  136. 
"         mollis,  294. 
"         nemoralis,  293. 
*'         odora,  255. 
"         patula,  yy. 
"         uliginosa,  77. 
"         tortifolia,  255. 
Sonchus  arvensis,  292. 
Spathyema  foetida,  43. 
Specularia  biflora,  298. 

"  perfoliata,  297. 

Spiraea  salicifolia,  86. 
"        tomentosa,  88. 
Sonchus  arvensis,  292. 
Stenanthium  robustum,  84. 
Steironema  ciliatum,  93. 

"  lanceolatum,  93, 

Stokesia  cyanea,  132. 
Streptopus  roseus,  140. 
Strophilirion  Californicum,  138. 
Stylophorum  diphyllum,  276. 
Syndesmon  thalictroides,  210. 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES. 


345 


Tanacetum  vulgare.  319. 
Taraxacum  Taraxacum,  287. 
Tecoma  radicans,  95. 
Thalictrum  dioicum,  152. 

"  polygamum,  102. 

"  purpurascens,  152. 

Tha^pium  barbinode,  100, 
Thymus  Serpyllum,  315. 
Tiarella  cordifoHa,  158. 
Tradescantia  montana,  1 18, 
Triadenum  Virginicum,  67. 
Trichostima  dichotomum,  248. 
Trientalis  Americana,  214. 
Trillium  erectum,  146. 

"        grandifiorum,  144. 

**        undulatum,  144. 

Unifolium  Canadense,  143. 
Utricularia  cornuta,  67. 

"  vulgaris,  34. 

Uvularia  perfoliata,  148. 

"       sessilifolia,  146. 

Vagnera  racemosa,  142. 
Veratrum  viride,  46. 
Verbascum  Blattaria,  284. 
"  Trapsus,  282. 


Verbena  Canadensis,  268. 
"        hastata,  314. 
"         urticifolia,  315. 
Vernonia  Noveboracensis,  320. 
Veronica  Americana,  41. 
"       officinalis,  308. 
"      serpyllifolia,  310. 
Viburnum  acerifolium,  260. 
"        alnifolium,  188. 
"        Opulus,  118. 
"         prunifolium,  261. 
Vicia  Americana,  314. 

**     Cracca,  312. 
Viola  Atlantica,  23  4. 
"      blanda,  loi. 
"      Canadensis,  148. 
'*      cucullata,  258. 
**      lanceolata,  102. 
"      pedata,  232. 
*'     pedata  bicolor,  234. 
**      pubescens,  212 
"     rotundifolia,  150. 


Washingtonia  longistylis,  194. 
Yucca  filamentosa,  231. 


Index  of  Technical  Terms. 


PAGE. 

PAGE. 

Abruptly  Pinnate  Leaves, 

12 

Feather-veined, 

10 

Aerial  Roots, 

14 

Fertilization, 

7 

Alternate, 

9 

Fertilizing  Organs, 

7 

Anther, 

7 

Filament, 

7 

Arrow-shaped, 

II 

Fruit, 

7 

Auriculate, 

II 

Funnel-Form, 

5 

Axillary, 

2 

Gamopetalous, 

4 

Banner, 

6 

Gamosepalous, 

4 

Bell-shaped, 

5 

Glabrous, 

13 

Blade, 

9 

Glaucous, 

13 

Bracts, 

9 

Bulb, 

14 

Head, 

3 

Heart-shaped, 

II 

Campanulate, 

5 

Calyx, 

4,  5»7 

Imperfect  Flower, 

8 

Capitulum, 

3 

Incised, 

12 

Cleft, 

5,  12 

Included  Stamens, 

7 

Complete  Flower, 

4 

Inflorescence, 

2 

Compound  Leaves, 

12 

Irregular  Flowers, 

7 

Cordate, 

II 

Keel, 

6 

Corolla, 
Corm, 

4,7 
14 

Kidney-shaped, 

II 

Corymb, 

3 

Labiate, 

6 

Creeping, 

13 

Lanceolate, 

10 

Crenate, 

12 

Leaves, 

9,  10 

Cross-fertilization, 

7 

Ligulate, 

5 

Cruciferous, 

6 

Linear, 

10                1 

Cyme, 

4 

Lobed, 

5,^2 

Decumbent, 

13 

Netied-Veined, 

9 

Divided, 

12 

Neutral  Flower, 

8 

Elliptical, 

10 

Obcordate, 

II 

Entire  Leaves, 

12 

Oblanceolate, 

10 

Erect, 

13 

Oblong, 

10 

Exserted  Stamens, 

7 

Obovate, 

II 

INDEX  OF  TECHNICAL  TERMS. 


347 


Odd-Pinnate, 

Opposite, 

Orbicular, 

Organs  of  reproduction, 

"        "  protection, 
Oval, 
Ovary, 
Ovate, 
Ovules, 

Palmate, 

Palmately-veined, 

Panicle, 

Papilionaceous, 

Parallel-veined, 

Parasites, 

Parted, 

Pedicel, 

Peduncle, 

Peltate, 

Perfect  Flower, 

Perianth, 

Petals, 

Pinnate, 

Pistil, 

Pistillate, 

Pollen, 

Polypetalous, 

Procumbent, 

Pubescent, 

Raceme, 

Regular  Flowers, 

Reniform, 

Root, 

Rootstock, 

Rosaceous, 


I'? 

Sagittate, 

II 

9 

Salver-shaped, 

S 

II 

Scape, 

14 

4 

Scolloped, 

12 

4 

Seed-bearing  Organ, 

7 

10 

Seeds, 

7 

7 

Seed  Vessel, 

7 

ID 

Self-fertilization, 

8 

7 

Sepals, 

4 

Serrate, 

12 

12 

Sessile, 
Shield-shaped, 

3 
12 

10 

Simple  S^£m, 

14 

3 
6 

Solitary, 

2 

Spadix, 

3 

9 

Spatulate, 

II 

14 

Spike, 

3 

5 

Stamens, 

7 

2 

Staminate  Flowers, 

9 

2 

Standard, 

6 

12 

8 

Stem, 

13 

Stigma, 

7 

7 

Stipules, 

9 

4 
12 

Style, 

7 

7 

Terminal, 

2 

9 

Thorns, 

14 

7 

Toothed, 

5 

6 

Tuber, 

14 

13 

Tubular, 

5 

13 

Umbel, 

4 

3 

Undulate, 

12 

7 

Veining, 

9 

II 

14 

Wheel-shaped, 

47 

14 

Whorled, 

9 

6 

Wings. 

6 

